Evan McKie

Evan M. McKie (born April 7, 1983 in Toronto, Canada) is a contemporary and ballet dancer, choreographer, dance masterclass teacher [1], Research Fellow at Institute for Neuroplastic Training, archivist advisor [2] and writer.[3] He spent 13 years dancing in each rank of the Stuttgart Ballet and until recently was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada.[4] He has performed as a guest dancer with international companies, including the Paris Opera Ballet (2011, 2012, 2014), Bolshoi Ballet (2013), Mariinsky Ballet (2016) Tokyo Ballet (2013) , Orsolina28 in 2019/20 and Ballet de Santiago de Chile Marcia Haydeé (2014) .

Evan McKie
McKie and Xiao Nan Yu in 2017
Occupation(s)Ballet dancer , Dance Intructor. Art instructor, choreographer, writer.

Current National Ballet of Canada Director Hope Muir spoke candidly about McKie’s unparalleled career: "Evan has become one of Canada's most celebrated dancers with an international career as both a Principal Dancer and Guest Artist. He is renowned for his range, strength in fluidity and a rare athletic articulation in both classical and contemporary roles. Often bringing intriguing characters from literature to life, Evan entranced National Ballet audiences. His most notable roles include both Lensky and Onegin in Onegin, the title role in Apollo, Leontes in The Winter's Tale, Diaghilev and Petruschka in Nijinsky, Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty, Karenin in Anna Karenina and lead roles in Wayne McGregor's Chroma and Genus."[5] Former Artistic Director & fellow Canadian Dance legend Karen Kain offered: "It was a great pleasure during my tenure as Artistic Director to be able to invite Evan to return home and share his unique artistry with Canadian audiences. He gave many outstanding performances in a wide variety of important roles with the company. I send Evan my gratitude." [6]

Early life and education

Evan McKie started his ballet training with Deborah DelVechio & continued at Canada's National Ballet School from the age of 8 until 14. At 15, McKie suffered a severe ligament injury and was told by doctors that he may not be able to continue pursuing ballet.[7] McKie managed to recover without surgery & continued to train with The Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington D.C. At 16, Mckie was invited to join Germany's John Cranko Schule by Pyotr Pestov. It was at the Stuttgart Ballet that McKie was given his first professional job as a dancer by Artistic Director Reid Anderson.

Career

After debuting at Stuttgart, McKie was eventually promoted to the ballet's principal dancer. In 2011, McKie was invited to be a guest dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet. The Financial Times stated that his performance of Onegin was "the sensation of the entire season".[8]

McKie was invited to be a guest at the Bolshoi Ballet in 2013 and followed with performances at the Paris Opera Ballet in both January and July 2014, in different roles. In Stuttgart, under the direction and mentorship of fellow Canadian Reid Anderson, McKie danced in both classic ballets, and over 30 contemporary collaborations.[9]

In 2014, McKie returned to dance professionally in Canada.[7] In a statement to The Toronto Star, the National Ballet of Canada's Artistic Director, Karen Kain, noted that "he loves the contemporary and the process of creation but also absolutely embodies the classical danseur noble."[10]

McKie has choreographed two dance works for Stuttgart's Noverre Society and a work for Olga Smirnova of the Bolshoi Ballet in cooperation with the Youth American Grand Prix at Lincoln Center in New York. He is a visual artist specializing in backstage portraits of artists and dancers and recently held a private exhibition in Germany entitled Schichten.

McKie also researches the use of dance as part of rehabilitation from depression and drug addiction.He is also a contributor and advisory board member for Dance Magazine.

Performance repertoire

Through his career, McKie has performed in over 100 original and adapted works for notable choreographers, including John Cranko, Kenneth MacMillan, Maurice Bejart, John Neumeier, George Balanchine , Marius Petipa, Glen Tetley, Rudolf Nureyev, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Crystal Pite, Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor. His most notable roles include Eugene Onegin & Vladimir Lensky in Onegin by John Cranko, Prince Florimund (or Prince Desire) in The Sleeping Beauty, Hamlet by Kevin O'Day, Leontes in The Winter's Tale (ballet) by Christopher Wheeldon , Serge Diaghilev & Petruschka in "Nijinsky", Iago in Othello, Des Grieux in The Lady of the Camellias, Mitch in A Streetcar Named Desire & Alexei Karenin in Anna Karenina (all 5 previously listed ballets are choreographed by John Neumeier ; Romeo, Tybalt and Paris in Romeo and Juliet by John Cranko & Alexei Ratmansky, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lakeby John Cranko , Marius Petipa , David Dawson & James Kudelka, Apollo by George Balanchine & both the Pflegmetic & Sanguinic roles in "The Four Temperaments" , also by George Balanchine.

Awards
  • Top 5 International Ballet Dancers of the Year - 2020, La Notte Ballet [11]
  • The 2016 Kirov Academy Award for outstanding achievement in dance and contribution as a humanitarian.
  • Apuli Arte Merit Prize, Italy. Outstanding Performance in International Dance - 2012
  • Best Newcomer Dance Performance of the Year (nominated) - 2001, Dance Europe Magazine
  • Best International Dance Performance of the Year (nominated) - 2012, Dance Magazine Japan
  • Best International Dance Performance of the Year (nominated) - 2012, Danse Magazine
  • Best International Dance Performance of the Year (nominated) - 2013 & 2014, Tanz Magazine Yearbook (Germany)
  • Best International Dance Performance of the Year (nominated) - 2012 & 2014, Dance Europe Magazine
  • Best Performer, Dance Magazine (alongside Olga Smirnova) - 2014 & 2015

References
  1. "You Can Learn Ballet from One of Canada's Top Dancers". Elle Canada. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  2. "Board and Advisors". dcd.ca. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  3. "Evan McKie". Breaking Bounds Dance. Retrieved 2022-10-21.
  4. Mihaela. "Evan McKie: his 20th professional season in 2021". Dance for You Magazine (in German). Retrieved 2022-02-09.
  5. Wild, Stephi. "Evan McKie Bids Farewell to The National Ballet of Canada". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2023-04-02.
  6. News, Ballet (2022-07-06). "Evan McKie Bids Farewell to The National Ballet of Canada But Not to Dance Career | Ballet News | Straight from the stage - bringing you ballet insights". Retrieved 2023-04-02. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  7. "Cover Story: Principal Dancer Evan McKie" (PDF). National Ballet of Canada. 2015. Retrieved 2022-02-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. Cappelle, Laura (February 13, 2018). "Onegin, Palais Garnier, Paris – John Cranko's ballet isn't about love". Financial Times.
  9. Danse Paris, Odin 2011
  10. Crabb, Michael (April 27, 2014). "In Evan McKie, National Ballet gains a ballet superstar". Toronto Star.
  11. "La Notte Ballet Top: Top-5 International Dancers of the Year". August 13, 2020.
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