Venue: Place des Arts: Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal

Sarah Dufresne dazzles as Ophélie in Opéra de Montréal's Hamlet along with mezzo Karine Deshayes and the Orchestre Métropolitain conducted by Jacques Lacombe.

There’s a good reason Swan Lake is a box office blockbuster. Not only is it “famous” in the sense that even ballet neophytes know all about it, Swan Lake is a seriously meaty ballet with a narrative arc that offers tension-filled dynamics, a luscious score by Tchaikovsky and one of the most famous tragic love stories of all time.

Ballet companies around the world are in the thick of Nutcracker season right now, and many are grappling with some surprisingly meaty issues at the heart of this light, sugary ballet

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens has brought a brand new piece to the stage; a neo-classical adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s controversial novel, Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

It’s the end of the 17/18 season for most ballet companies and for many, this means rounding off with a glitzy gala night. I feel these performances always go in one of two directions: they’re either a Greatest Hits or a bit of a patchwork quilt. 

Casse Noisette (the Nutcracker) is an annual tradition for shrieking hoardes of ballet-lovers all over the globe. If you want to keep it real, I heartily recommend a Sunday matinee.

Le Mariage de Figaro is meant to be a bit of a romp; a frothy drawing-room comedy of errors. In this respect, the National Ballet of Ukraine's production works perfectly.

As a dancer, Bryan Arias has performed for Ohad Naharin, NDT, Jiří Kylián, Complexions and Crystal Pite. Now, as a choreographer, Arias' work echoes their collective MO: airy curves, fluid releases, and tender partnering.