February 28, 2005 -

The broadcast premiere of a pairing of SwanS, conceived and directed by Veronica Tennant, will take place on Thursday, March 3 at 21:00 on CBC Television's Opening Night.

a pairing of SwanS is a poetic homage to two consummate Canadian artists, Evelyn Hart and Rex Harrington. They are joined respectively by the renowned cellists Amanda Forsyth, principal cello of the National Arts Centre Orchestra, and Shauna Rolston, as well as Canada’s celebrated harpist Judy Loman, in two exquisite music compositions: The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns, and The Swan Sees His Reflection by Canadian composer, Malcolm Forsyth, father of Amanda.

The mirror-image solos reflect the classical and contemporary – both in concept, camera-styles, dancing and choreography. Filmed at the historic Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto, Evelyn Hart’s transcendent performance hearkens back to the first “Immortal Swan”, Anna Pavlova. Only a Prima Ballerina Assoluta dare touch this ephemeral solo work: Evelyn Hart’s interpretation is breathtaking and definitive.

Pivoting in time, Rex Harrington dances The Swan Sees His Reflection to newly created choreography by the talented young choreographer, Matjash Mrozewski, with its musical reflection of the Saint-Saëns Swan, by Canadian composer, Malcolm Forsyth.  Now we are in today’s Winter Garden – no curtain, no wings, the stage stripped to the brick back wall.  The shooting style, in contrast to the classical treatment of part one, is contemporary and crisp.

The History and the Dancer: Actor Brent Carver’s reminiscence of the first immortal Swan, Anna Pavlova, is paired with his reading of Paul Valéry’s prose-poem Danse. His spoken word provides the connective tissue between the two dance pieces with a poignant reflection on the vulnerability of dancers and their finite career – “Why can’t life be an endless dance?”

Shot on super 16mm film, and produced by Peter Mak and Veronica Tennant, a pairing of SwanS is conceived and directed by Veronica Tennant, and presented by Veronica Tennant Productions.

To coincide with the broadcast premiere, an educational DVD-ROM version of the film will be launched on March 3 as well.  It is produced by Veronica Tennant Productions and marblemedia in association with The Canada Council for the Arts.

For more information please contact:
Jane Morris, Communications Officer,
National Arts Centre Orchestra
(613) 947-7000, ext. 335
jmorris@nac-cna.ca

Veronica Tennant Productions and Peter Mak at 905-513-8208

Press kit and photos can be downloaded from:
www.geocities.com/apairingofswans