Karen Kain
Artistic Director
Karen Kain, Artistic Director
Biography
Karen Kain, C.C., LL.D., D.Litt., O.Ont., Artistic Director
Acknowledged as one of the leading classical ballerinas of her time, Karen Kain is also one of Canada’s foremost arts advocates, bringing the same passion and dedication she exemplified as a dancer to her roles as a spokesperson for Canadian culture and as the Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada.
A native of Hamilton, Ontario, Ms. Kain studied at Canada’s National Ballet School, graduating in 1969 when she joined The National Ballet of Canada. After quickly rising to the rank of Principal Dancer, she came to the attention of international audiences when she won the Silver Medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition in 1973. This led to a highly successful career on stages throughout the world, dancing a wide range of classical and modern roles with such companies as Roland Petit’s Ballet de Marseilles, The Bolshoi Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, London Festival Ballet, Paris Opéra Ballet and the Eliot Feld Company.
Ms. Kain retired from dance in 1997 after a nationwide farewell tour and, shortly afterwards, assumed the position of Artist-in-Residence with the National Ballet. In 1999, her role was expanded to that of Artistic Associate and in June of 2005, she was appointed Artistic Director of the company.
Ms. Kain has received numerous accolades and awards throughout her career. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the first Canadian recipient of the Cartier Lifetime Achievement Award and was named an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters by the government of France. In 2002, she was honoured with a Governor General’s Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and from 2004 to 2008 was Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts. In 2007, she received the Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award for demonstrating excellence and professionalism in the performing arts. In 2008, the Karen Kain School of the Arts, named after Ms. Kain by the children for her significant contributions to the arts over her career, officially opened.
Career Highlights
| 1969 | Graduates from the National Ballet School and joins the corps de ballet of The National Ballet of Canada |
| 1970 | Replaces an injured Veronica Tennant in Swan Lake during a tour of the Southern United States and is promoted to Principal Dancer |
| 1971 | Promoted to Principal Dancer |
| 1972 | Performs with Rudolf Nureyev in The Sleeping Beauty in Houston, Texas. |
| 1972 | Makes her debut in Romeo and Juliet with Frank Augustyn. |
| 1973 | Awarded the Silver Medal in the Women's Category at the 2nd International Ballet Competition in Moscow. She also, with Frank Augustyn, won the 1st prize for Best Pas de Deux. |
| 1974 | Dances in Don Juan in Toronto and La Sylphide in New York with Rudolf Nureyev. |
| 1974 | First danced with Roland Petit's Le Ballet National de Marseille and returns as guest artist throughout the next decade. |
| 1975 | Dances with Rudolf Nureyev in The Sleeping Beauty with the London Festival Ballet. |
| 1976 | Made an Officer of the Order of Canada. |
| 1977 | Dances the lead role in Giselle with the Bolshoi Ballet on a Soviet Tour as Guest Artist. |
| 1977 | Karen Kain Ballerina is aired on CBC Television |
| 1980 | Guest artist with Makarova and Company |
| 1980 | Guest artist with Le Ballet de Marseille in New York |
| 1986 | Dances in the world premiere of Glen Tetley's Alice |
| 1987 | Performs in Impromptu, choreographed by Eliot Feld, at the National Ballet's 35th Anniversary Gala |
| 1988 | A gala performance, "Celebrating Kain", held in honour of Ms. Kain's 20 years with the National Ballet |
| 1989 | Karen Kain Prima Ballerina aired on CBC Television |
| 1991 | Reunited with Frank Augustyn in the Balcony Pas de Deux from Romeo and Juliet at the National Ballet's 40th Anniversary Gala |
| 1991 | James Kudelka creates Musings for the Glory of Mozart Festival as a tribute to Ms. Kain |
| 1991 | Made Companion of the Order of Canada |
| 1992 | Performing Arts Award from the Toronto Arts Awards |
| 1993 | John Neumeier creates Now and Then for Ms. Kain |
| 1994 | James Kudelka creates The Actress in honour of Ms. Kain's 25th anniversary with the National Ballet |
| 1994 | The National Ballet of Canada's 1994/95 season is dedicated to Ms. Kain |
| 1994 | Creates the role of Frau Gabor in James Kudelka's Spring Awakening |
| 1994 | Movement Never Lies: An Autobiography by Karen Kain with Stephen Godfrey and Penelope Reed Doob, published by McClelland & Stewart |
| 1995 | Performs the role of Natalia Petrova in Frederick Ashton's A Month in the Country, staged by Anthony Dowell for The National Ballet of Canada. This was the first time the ballet was performed by another company other than Britain's Royal Ballet. |
| 1996 | Is the first Canadian to be honoured with the Cartier Lifetime Achievement Award. |
| 1996 | Announces her retirement as Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada following the 96/97 season. |
| 1997 | Embarks on a cross Canada Farewell Tour presented by Livent Inc. She performed James Kudelka's The Actress. |
| 1997 | Honoured with Governor General's Award - National Arts Centre Award |
| 1998 | Becomes Artist in Residence at The National Ballet of Canada |
| 1998 | Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame |
| 1999 | Appointed Artistic Associate at The National Ballet of Canada |
| 2001 | Named an Officier of the Ordre des arts et letters by the French Government |
| 2002 | Receives a Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement |
| 2002 | Receives The Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II |
| 2004 | Re-stages Rudolf Nureyev's The Sleeping Beauty to critical acclaim |
| 2004 | Invited by Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to speak to Harvard's Canada Seminar about the challenges facing artists and arts organizations in Canada. |
| 2004 | Named Board Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts |
| 2005 | Appointed Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada |
| 2005 | Inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction |
| 2005 | Tundra Books publishes Karen Kain's The Nutcracker based on the National Ballet's production. |
| 2007 | Receives the Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award from the City of Toronto. |
| 2008 | The Karen Kain School of the Arts officially opened. The school was named after Karen Kain by the children for her significant contributions to the arts over her career. |
Quotes
"Kain made a principled, fearless and crucial strategic investment in the National Ballet's artistic future, one she should be justly proud and should soon repeat."
- Dance International (on Innovation), 2009