Crystal Pite
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Crystal Pite (born December 15, 1970) is a Canadian
choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...
and
dancer Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoi ...
. She began her professional dance career in 1988 at Ballet BC, and in 1996 she joined
Ballett Frankfurt The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is a contemporary dance ensemble of eighteen dancers based in Dresden and Frankfurt, Germany. It was founded in 2005 as The Forsythe Company by American choreographer William Forsythe following the closure of ...
under the tutelage of William Forsythe. After leaving Ballett Frankfurt she became the resident choreographer of
Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
company Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal from 2001 to 2004. She then returned to
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
where she focused on choreographing while continuing to dance in her own pieces until 2010. In 2002 she formed her own company called
Kidd Pivot Kidd Pivot (known from 2010 to 2012 as Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM), is a contemporary dance theatre company based in Vancouver, Canada. The company, currently comprising eight full-time dancers and several guest artists, is led by its founder and ar ...
, which produced her original works ''Uncollected Work'' (2003), ''Double Story'' (2004), ''Lost Action'' (2006), ''Dark Matters'' (2009), ''The You Show'' (2010), ''The Tempest Replica'' (2011), ''Betroffenheit'' (2015), and ''Revisor'' (2019) to date. Throughout her career she has been commissioned by many international dance companies to create new pieces, including ''The Second Person'' (2007) for Netherlands Dans Theater and ''Emergence'' (2009) for the
National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
, the latter of which was awarded four Dora Mavor Moore Awards. In 2010, Kidd Pivot became the resident dance company of the German theatre Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, and for the next three years Pite premiered her work in
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
, Germany. While working in Frankfurt, Pite choreographed ''The You Show'' (2010), which explored different types of relationships in various duets and ''The'' ''Tempest Replica'' (2011) which was based on
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's '' The Tempest''. When her arrangement with Künstlerhaus Mousonturm expired she became an Associate Artist with Sadler's Wells' in 2013 and created ''Polaris'' (2015) based on
Thomas Adès Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès (born 1 March 1971) is a British composer, pianist and conductor. Five compositions by Adès received votes in the 2017 Classic Voice poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000: '' The Tempest'' (2004), '' ...
's music, using both the dancers from Kidd Pivot and 60 students from
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...
. Her work ''Betroffenheit'' (2015), a piece co-created with collaborator
Jonathon Young Jonathon Young (born May 8, 1973) is a Canadian actor known for his role of Nikola Tesla on the SyFy show ''Sanctuary''. Appearances include ''The Fog'', ''Eureka'', and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Young is a well-respected stage actor. He is the ...
, premiered at the 2015 Pan American Games. Her most recent work for Kidd Pivot ''Revisor'' (2019), was also created with Jonathon Young, premiering in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
with DanceHouse at The Vancouver Playhouse. Throughout her career as a choreographer, Pite has choreographed works for world renowned companies such as Nederlands Dans Theatre I, The Paris Opera Ballet,
Ballet Jörgen Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
, Ballet BC, Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal,
Cullberg Ballet Cullberg Ballet ( sv, Cullbergbaletten) is a Swedish contemporary dance company. It was founded by the modern dancer and pioneer choreographer Birgit Cullberg in 1967, who brought it to fame. After Cullberg's retirement in 1985 the company was un ...
, the
National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
,
The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
, Ballett Frankfurt, and
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was a New York City-based contemporary ballet company. Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2003 by Nancy Walton Laurie.Luke JenningsCedar Lake Contemporary Ballet – review: Sadler's Wells, London ''The Gu ...
. She has choreographed over 50 works, many of which have been nominated for and won several awards. Currently, while running Kidd Pivot, she is also an Associate Artist at
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
in London, an Associate Choreographer with Nederlands Dans Theatre in The Netherlands, and an Associate Dance Artist of Canada's National Arts Centre.


Early life and career

Crystal Pite was born in
Terrace, British Columbia Terrace is a city located near the Skeena River in British Columbia, Canada. The community is the regional retail and service hub for the northwestern portion of British Columbia. With a current population of over 12,000 within municipal boundarie ...
on December 15, 1970. She has two younger brothers. Pite stated that she began choreographing when she was a toddler. She grew up in
Victoria, British Columbia Victoria is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of 91,867, and the Greater Victoria area has a population of 397,237. The ...
studying dance under Maureen Eastick and Wendy Green. During this time Pite choreographed on her classmates on Saturday afternoons. She also studied at the
Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...
in summer programs and
The School of Toronto Dance Theatre The School of Toronto Dance Theatre is a dance school located in the Cabbagetown, Toronto, Cabbagetown neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1968, the School today runs under the Artistic Direction of Sasha Ivanochko and is a ...
. She joined Ballet BC as a dancer in 1988 and performed with the company for eight years. In 1990 she created her first professional choreography with the company called ''Between the Bliss and Me''. The success of this work allowed her to create additional pieces with Ballet BC, as well as choreography with Les Ballets Jazz De Montreal and Canada's Ballet Jörgen. Pite danced in her first William Forsythe ballet in 1990 called '' In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated'' which was her initial introduction to performing his work.


Ballett Frankfurt and William Forsythe

Pite was attracted to Forsythe's choreography and wild interpretation of ballet. In 1995, she auditioned for his dance company
Ballett Frankfurt The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is a contemporary dance ensemble of eighteen dancers based in Dresden and Frankfurt, Germany. It was founded in 2005 as The Forsythe Company by American choreographer William Forsythe following the closure of ...
. She was hired as a dancer, and in 1996, Pite left
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
for
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
to officially join the company. Pite performed around the world with
Ballett Frankfurt The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is a contemporary dance ensemble of eighteen dancers based in Dresden and Frankfurt, Germany. It was founded in 2005 as The Forsythe Company by American choreographer William Forsythe following the closure of ...
in ''EIDOS : TELOS'', ''The Loss of Small Detail'', and ''Endless House''. Pite was also excited to develop choreography with Forsythe using his improvisational technologies and in 2000 created ''Excerpts from a Future Work''. She was involved in the creation of Forsythe's educational film "William Forsythe: Improvisation Technologies: A Tool for the Analytical Dance Eye" as one of the four featured dancers.


Return to British Columbia and Kidd Pivot

Pite returned to
British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
in 2001 and took up residence in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. Later that year, she created a duet called ''Tales - New and Abridged'' with
Cori Caulfield Cori or CORI may refer to: * Cori cycle, the metabolic pathway where lactic acid produced in the muscles is converted into glucose in the liver * Cori (lunar crater) * Cori, a List of craters on Venus, crater on Venus * Cori (name) * ''Cori, de Sch ...
. In 2001, she was appointed to a three-year residency with Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal to choreograph new works. Her first show with the company, ''Short Works: 22'', premiered that same year. She expanded this piece to be featured in the first part of ''The Stolen Show'', also performed by Les Ballet Jazz de Montréal. The second part featured choreography that was also called ''The Stolen Show'' and the third piece was called ''Xspectacle''. Pite formed Kidd Pivot in 2002 as an inter-disciplinary performing arts company based in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. Her first dance shows with the company showcased her shorter works and sometimes featured other choreographers. Among her first pieces was ''Double Story'', which explored two perspectives of a romantic relationship. Pite and Richard Siegal each choreographed a perspective and danced each section as a duet. Pite's choreography was called ''Man Asunder'' and was created two years after Siegal's section. It contained a through line of childhood friends who were having various dreams. At some points in the dance the performers became adults that contemplated the mysteries of the universe. At other moments they stepped out of character into a deconstruction setting by rearranging the sets or drinking water on stage. The set on stage included two large mirrors and the choreography included puppetry and masks. In ''Lost Action,'' another work created for Kidd Pivot, Pite explored the theme of the disappearance of dance. The piece showcased a violent scene that left a man dead and then replayed this several times, each with variations. ''Lost Action'' had a simplistic costume design and a few props in order to enhance the performance. Most of the piece's budget was used to bring the cast of four men and three woman to
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
to create the choreography. The dancing consisted of "fractured movement...exaggerated to make a dance of broken rhythms and twisted limbs." The piece blended classical contemporary and hip hop movements with immense control from the dancers. In 2011, the
National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
recorded a section of this piece and released it as ''Lost Action: Trace''. Her next work for Kidd Pivot was called ''Uncollected Work'' (2003) which Pite herself labelled "seminal Kidd Pivot". While creating for Kidd Pivot, Pite was also commissioned to choreograph pieces for other companies in Canada and around the world. In 2006 Pite returned to Ballet BC to create ''Arietta''. The title of the piece shares the same name as the second movement in Beethoven's '' Piano Sonata No. 32'', which is also the music that the choreography is danced to. The dance departed from Pite's usual style of using props and text and focused abstract movement by the eight performers. Pite choreographed a solo on
Louise Lecavalier Louise Lecavalier OC (born October 3, 1958) is a Canadian dancer known as one of the icons of Canadian contemporary dance. Biography Lecavalier was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She began her professional dance career at the age o ...
called ''Lone Epic'' in 2006. Lecavalier acted as a conductor of an orchestra while the stage was littered with music stands. As she danced she turned the music stands to reveal messages, including "What is she really thinking?" and "What do you really want, really, really, really?" Lecavalier then knocked over music stands with her dramatic movement. As the choreographer, Pite was commended for developing a dramatic story that depicts the physical breakdown of a conductor.


Larger-scale works and international commissions

In 2007 Pite created ''The Second Person'' for Netherlands Dans Theater I. Pite was inspired by
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, Scottish and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...
folk songs. Her longtime composer Owen Belton used her inspiration to create unique music that complemented the storm cloud covered stage. The piece included 25 dancers who represent youth and the loss of innocence that comes with growing up. The dancers operated stick puppets while another puppet spoke into a microphone and a large wooden
marionette A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed ...
performed as a member of the dance ensemble. The piece utilized many of Pite's signature thematic elements like text and clear narrative The piece was included in NDT's 2009 tour of the United States. In 2008 Pite became an associate choreographer with NDT and has created nine works for the first company since her first, ''Pilot X'', in 2005. In 2009 Pite created her first two-hour long work with Kidd Pivot, ''Dark Matters''. The piece explored the capabilities of unseen external forces on the body and mind. In the first act a man creates a
marionette A marionette (; french: marionnette, ) is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a marionettist. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed ...
that is controlled by four dancers dressed as
kuroko are stagehands in traditional Japanese theatre, who dress all in black. Lexical background 黒衣 primarily read kurogo, differentiating from the other readings kokui/kokue/kuroginu "black clothes", the go/gi suffix underlining the wearing i ...
s, traditional Japanese stagehands. The puppet eventually turns on its creator and destroys him with scissors. After intermission all the kurokos except one remove their black clothing and turn into humans, still moving like puppets. Towards the end of the piece, the last shadow reveals that she is also human but moves like a newly created puppet. The piece finishes with the creator from the first act cradling the last kuroko as the kuroko pretends to sew strings onto the creator's body. The choreography was based on ballet vocabulary but was not considered a
classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its ...
piece. Instead it showed de-centered alignment so that the dancers could create asymmetrical shapes. Also in 2009 Pite created ''Emergence'' for the
National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
as part of the program ''Innovation.'' This choreography won four Dora Mavor Moore Awards for best choreography, best performance, best score and best production. The piece was inspired by Steven Johnson's work '' Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities and Software''. The dance mimicked the movement of insects, which was a metaphor for human behavior. Some of the themes in the piece included hive mentality, hierarchical mentalities and gender issues. The dancers often performed the same movements but at random intervals throughout the piece. There were also moments of solos and small group pieces that mimicked significant events such as a mating ritual or the coronation of a hive queen.


Return to Frankfurt

In 2010, Kidd Pivot signed a two-year deal (which was later extended to three years) to become the resident dance company of Künstlerhaus Mousonturm in
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
. As part of the deal, the company changed their name to Kidd Pivot. Frankfort RM and premiered new choreography by Pite at the theatre house. This resulted in Pite splitting her time between
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
and her hometown of
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. Kidd Pivot also increased their touring schedule during this time as the company was invited to perform in various countries. Also in 2010, Pite chose to stop performing in her own work. Pite worried that this decision might take the joy out of choreographing but later said; "I have more knowledge and understanding of certain things, but less ability in my body... So it's an interesting pull in two directions there. What I do have are incredible people around me. I have incredible dancers — I dance through them." Among her first choreography with the renamed company was ''The You Show,'' which explored different conflicts that couples may have with each other. The show was divided into four duets. The first piece ''A Picture of You Falling'' was the only section that was remounted from a previous work. It explored the relationship between two people trying to connect and consistently missing each other. Throughout the piece a voice-over hinted at previous events between the two dancers. The second dance, ''The Other You,'' featured two visually similar performers dressed in matching suits that dancing as if they were physically connected. The third section was called ''Das Glashaus'' and featured an original score that sounded like broken glass. ''A Picture of You Flying'' was the final section where Pite used humour to complement the more serious nature of the previous works. It was a piece about a
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
who struggled in a relationship with his girlfriend. Ensemble members of Kidd Pivot performed in this piece as various superheroes or villains. In 2011, Pite premiered ''Tempest Replica''. At first she explored film noir movies but felt these stories did not have enough humanity or spirituality. When she read '' The Tempest'' she was inspired to recreate the shipwreck at the beginning of the play. In the first half of the show
Prospero Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, whose usurping brother, Antonio, had put him (with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda) to se ...
was the only dancer dressed in street clothes while the other dancers dressed in grey clothing and face masks.
Prospero Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, whose usurping brother, Antonio, had put him (with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda) to se ...
manipulated the other dancers as if they were robots. In the second half all of the dancers are dressed in street clothes and
Prospero Prospero ( ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of William Shakespeare's play '' The Tempest''. Prospero is the rightful Duke of Milan, whose usurping brother, Antonio, had put him (with his three-year-old daughter, Miranda) to se ...
danced a duet or trio with each character, showcasing his relationship with them. Throughout the piece Pite projected the act and scene number from the original play with a short scene description to help the audience understand the plot. At dramatic moments she also projected the corresponding line from '' The Tempest''. Pite used puppets and shadows to help explain the plot, creating a
play-within-a-play A story within a story, also referred to as an embedded narrative, is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story (within the first one). Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes c ...
feeling.


Later works

In 2013,
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
appointed Pite as an associate artist following her residency with Künstlerhaus Mousonturm. The following year ''The'' ''Tempest Replica'' was performed at
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
as its
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
premiere. Pite took this opportunity to rework and improve upon the piece, stating "it wasn't done. It wasn't awful, but it wasn't what it was going to be. I knew that I would need more time and money to fix it." ''The Tempest Replica'' was originally performed in
Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , "Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on its na ...
in 2011 as part of Pite's partnership with Künstlerhaus Mousonturm. This newer version of ''Tempest Replica'' won Pite the
Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2015. ''Polaris'' was Pite's first original work for Sadler's Wells. Premiering in 2014, it was part of a larger program called ''
Thomas Adès Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès (born 1 March 1971) is a British composer, pianist and conductor. Five compositions by Adès received votes in the 2017 Classic Voice poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000: '' The Tempest'' (2004), '' ...
: See the Music, Hear the Dance'' to honor the music of
Thomas Adès Thomas Joseph Edmund Adès (born 1 March 1971) is a British composer, pianist and conductor. Five compositions by Adès received votes in the 2017 Classic Voice poll of the greatest works of art music since 2000: '' The Tempest'' (2004), '' ...
. It was danced to Adès' song ''Polaris'' which was played by 75 musicians placed throughout the theatre and featured 64 dancers from Kidd Pivot and
London Contemporary Dance School London Contemporary Dance School (informally LCDS) is a contemporary dance school located in London, England and a part of the Conservatoire for Dance and Drama. It was founded by Robin Howard in 1966 to train new dancers for his company, Londo ...
. For some of the piece all the dancers moved as one entity in synchronization. Pite also incorporated smaller group sections that were slower and used more control in the movement. Pite won the
Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her work on this piece as well as ''The Tempest Replica'', and ''A Picture of You Falling'' in 2015. Pite premiered a new piece at Panamania during the 2015 Pan American Games in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...
. ''Betroffenheit'' is a collaboration between Pite and
Jonathon Young Jonathon Young (born May 8, 1973) is a Canadian actor known for his role of Nikola Tesla on the SyFy show ''Sanctuary''. Appearances include ''The Fog'', ''Eureka'', and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Young is a well-respected stage actor. He is the ...
, co-artistic director of
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
-based theatre group
Electric Company Theatre Electric Company Theatre is a professional theatre company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. History The Electric Company Theatre was originally formed as a collective in 1996 by Kim Collier, David Hudgins, Kevin Kerr and current Art ...
, with dancers from Kidd Pivot. The title refers to the indescribable shock after a traumatic event. ''Betroffenheit'' received several awards; Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2017, The
Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...
's Critic's Choice Innovation Award presented at The
Jessie Richardson Theatre Award The Jessie Richardson Theatre Award (commonly known as the Jessie Awards) is given to recognize achievement in professional theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Jessies are presented by the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Society, at an annu ...
s in 2016, Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Production in 2016, and The Critic's Circle National Dance Award for Outstanding Performance in Modern Dance to
Jonathon Young Jonathon Young (born May 8, 1973) is a Canadian actor known for his role of Nikola Tesla on the SyFy show ''Sanctuary''. Appearances include ''The Fog'', ''Eureka'', and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Young is a well-respected stage actor. He is the ...
for his performance in ''Betroffenheit'' in 2016. In 2017, the
Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...
commissioned a new piece from Pite called '' Flight Pattern'' which premiered in March of that year. Pite set the piece to the Polish composer Henryk Gorecki's 1976 '' Symphony of Sorrowful Songs.'' It was conducted by
Koen Kessels Koen Kessels (born 1961) is a Belgian conductor and music director of The Royal Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet. Trained as a pianist, Kessels studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp. He has conducted at the Opéra national de Paris ...
, the
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
was Jennifer Davis, and the dancers were members of the
Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
. Critic Luke Jennings described it as "a sombre and deeply affecting work" that "cuts to the heart". Pite received an
Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
in 2018 for "Best New Dance Production" for ''Flight Pattern''. Pite created a new piece in 2019 called ''Revisor'', collaborating with
Jonathon Young Jonathon Young (born May 8, 1973) is a Canadian actor known for his role of Nikola Tesla on the SyFy show ''Sanctuary''. Appearances include ''The Fog'', ''Eureka'', and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Young is a well-respected stage actor. He is the ...
and her company Kidd Pivot for the second time. ''Revisor'' premiered in 2019 at The Vancouver Playhouse in
Vancouver, British Columbia Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
. ''Revisor'' is a piece for eight dancers and uses recorded dialogue from several Canadian actors to aid in portraying the narrative. ''Revisor'' is inspired by and loosely based on
Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; uk, link=no, Мико́ла Васи́льович Го́голь, translit=Mykola Vasyliovych Hohol; (russian: Яновский; uk, Яновський, translit=Yanovskyi) ( – ) was a Russian novelist, ...
's book ''The Inspector General'', published in 1836. In 2022, Pite was the subject of a feature-length documentary, ''Crystal Pite:'' ''Angels’ Atlas'', directed by
Chelsea McMullan Chelsea McMullan is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, best known for their 2013 film '' My Prairie Home'', a film about transgender musician Rae Spoon.Ballet BC *1992 ''Reflection on Billy'' -
Ballet Jörgen Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...
*1993 ''In a Time of Darkness'' -
Alberta Ballet Alberta Ballet (also known as the Alberta Ballet Company) was founded by Muriel Taylor and Dr. Ruth Carse in 1958 and became a professional company in 1966. The company is a resident company of both the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmo ...
*1994 ''Shapes of a Passing'' - Ballet Jörgen *1995 ''Two Dances for Jane'' - Ballet Jörgen *1995 ''Pendulum'' - Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal *1995 ''Quest'' -
Alberta Ballet Alberta Ballet (also known as the Alberta Ballet Company) was founded by Muriel Taylor and Dr. Ruth Carse in 1958 and became a professional company in 1966. The company is a resident company of both the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmo ...
*1996 ''Moving Day'' - Ballet BC *1996 ''Field:Fiction'' -
Ballett Frankfurt The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is a contemporary dance ensemble of eighteen dancers based in Dresden and Frankfurt, Germany. It was founded in 2005 as The Forsythe Company by American choreographer William Forsythe following the closure of ...
*1998 ''Hopping The Twig'' - Ballet Jörgen *2001 ''Tales - New and Abridged'' - Produced by
Ballett Frankfurt The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is a contemporary dance ensemble of eighteen dancers based in Dresden and Frankfurt, Germany. It was founded in 2005 as The Forsythe Company by American choreographer William Forsythe following the closure of ...
*2001 ''Short Works: 22'' - Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal *2003 ''Uncollected Work'' - Kidd Pivot *2004 ''Double Story'' - Kidd Pivot *2004 ''The Stolen Show'' - Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal *2004 ''Xspectacle'' - Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal *2005 ''Pilot X'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2006 ''Arietta'' - Ballet BC *2006 ''Lost Action'' - Kidd Pivot *2006 ''Lone Epic'' - Solo for
Louise Lecavalier Louise Lecavalier OC (born October 3, 1958) is a Canadian dancer known as one of the icons of Canadian contemporary dance. Biography Lecavalier was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She began her professional dance career at the age o ...
*2007 ''The Second Person'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2008 ''Frontier'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2008 ''10 Duets on a Theme of Rescue'' -
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was a New York City-based contemporary ballet company. Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2003 by Nancy Walton Laurie.Luke JenningsCedar Lake Contemporary Ballet – review: Sadler's Wells, London ''The Gu ...
*2008 ''Matter of a Maker'' -
Cullberg Ballet Cullberg Ballet ( sv, Cullbergbaletten) is a Swedish contemporary dance company. It was founded by the modern dancer and pioneer choreographer Birgit Cullberg in 1967, who brought it to fame. After Cullberg's retirement in 1985 the company was un ...
*2009 ''Emergence'' -
The National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
*2009 ''Dark Matters'' - Kidd Pivot *2010 ''The You Show'' - Kidd Pivot *2010 ''Plot Point'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2011 ''The Tempest Replica'' - Kidd Pivot *2012 ''Solo Echo'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2013 ''Parade'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2015 ''Betroffenheit'' - Kidd Pivot *2015 ''In The Event'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2016 ''The Statement'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2016 ''
The Seasons' Canon ''The Seasons' Canon'' is a contemporary ballet choreographed by Crystal Pite to Max Richter's recomposition of Vivaldi's '' The Four Seasons''. The ballet is Pite's first work made for the Paris Opera Ballet, and premiered in 24 September 201 ...
' -
Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...
*2017 '' Flight Pattern'' -
The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...
*2018 ''Partita for 8 Dancers'' - Nederlands Dans Theater I *2019 ''Revisor'' - Kidd Pivot *2019 ''Body And Soul'' -
Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...
*2020 ''Angels' Atlas'' -
The National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca as the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...
*2022 ''Light of Passage'' -
The Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet is a British internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England. The largest of the five major ballet companies in Great Britain, the Royal Ballet was founded in ...


Personal life

Pite's partner is Jay Gower Taylor, who is also Kidd Pivot's set designer. They met while both were dancers with
Ballet British Columbia Ballet BC is a contemporary ballet company located in Vancouver, British Columbia. History Ballet BC is a professional contemporary ballet company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company was founded as Ballet British Columbia b ...
. In 2010 Pite gave birth to her first son. She currently resides in
Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
to live closer to her family.


Awards

*1995 :
Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...
's Clifford E. Lee Award *2004: Paul D. Fleck Fellowship in the Arts from
The Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...
*2004: Bonnie Bird North American Choreography Award *2005: Isadora Award for Choreography *2006: Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award – Dance, administered by the Vancouver East Cultural Centre *2006:
Jessie Richardson Theatre Award The Jessie Richardson Theatre Award (commonly known as the Jessie Awards) is given to recognize achievement in professional theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Jessies are presented by the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Society, at an annu ...
*2008:
Governor General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
's Performing Arts Awards Mentorship Award *2009: Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Choreography, Production, Performance, and Score (''Emergence'') *2011:
Jacob's Pillow Jacob's Pillow is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for a Summer dance festival. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives a ...
Dance Award *2012: Lola Award *2012: Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Production (''Dark Matters'') *2012:
Canada Council for the Arts The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal i ...
' Jacqueline Lemieux Prize *2015:
Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
for Outstanding Achievement in Dance (''The Associates — A Picture of You Falling'', ''The Tempest Replica'' and ''Polaris'' at Sadler's Wells) *2016: Critics' Circle National Dance Award : Best Modern Choreography (''Polaris'',
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
) *2016:
Georgia Straight ''The Georgia Straight'' is a free Canadian weekly news and entertainment newspaper published in Vancouver, British Columbia, by Overstory Media Group. Often known simply as ''The Straight'', it is delivered to newsboxes, post-secondary schools, ...
Critic's Choice Innovation Award at The
Jessie Richardson Theatre Award The Jessie Richardson Theatre Award (commonly known as the Jessie Awards) is given to recognize achievement in professional theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Jessies are presented by the Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Society, at an annu ...
s (''Betroffenheit'') *2016: Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Production (''Betroffenheit'') *2017:
Prix Benois de la Danse The Benois de la Danse is a ballet competition held annually in Moscow. Founded by the International Dance Association in 1991, it takes place each year on or around April 29 and it's judged by a jury. The members of this jury change every year and ...
(''
The Seasons' Canon ''The Seasons' Canon'' is a contemporary ballet choreographed by Crystal Pite to Max Richter's recomposition of Vivaldi's '' The Four Seasons''. The ballet is Pite's first work made for the Paris Opera Ballet, and premiered in 24 September 201 ...
'' for
Paris Opera Ballet The Paris Opera Ballet () is a French ballet company that is an integral part of the Paris Opera. It is the oldest national ballet company, and many European and international ballet companies can trace their origins to it. It is still regarded ...
) *2017: Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production (''Betroffenheit,''
Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...
) *2018:
Dance Magazine ''Dance Magazine'' is an American trade publication for dance published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as ''The American Dancer''. ''Dance Magazine'' has multiple sister publications, including ''Pointe' ...
Award *2018: Grand Prix de la Danse de Montreal Laureate 2018 (''Betroffenheit'',
Festival TransAmériques The Festival TransAmériques (FTA) is an annual dance and theater festival held in Montreal, Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Que ...
) *2018:
Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...
for Best New Dance Production ('' Flight Pattern,'' The Royal Opera House) *2018: Critics' Circle National Dance Award : Best Modern Choreography (''The Statement'', for
Nederlands Dans Theater Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT; literal translation Netherlands Dance Theatre) is a Dutch contemporary dance company. NDT is headquartered at the ''Amare'' building in The Hague. NDT also performs at other venues in the Netherlands, including Amste ...
I) *2019: Chrystal Dance Prize (''Revisor'', Dance Victoria)


References


External links


Archive footage of Kidd Pivot performing Pite's "Dark Matters" at Jacob's Pillow in July, 2011Archival footage of Kidd Pivot performing ''Lost Action'' at Jacob's Pillow in 2009Archival footage of ''PillowTalk: Canadian Dance on Film''; Philip Szporer and Marlene Millar discuss their collaboration with Crystal Pite on the 3D dance film ''Lost Action: Trace''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pite, Crystal 1970 births Living people 21st-century ballet dancers 21st-century Canadian dancers Ballet choreographers Canadian ballerinas Canadian choreographers Canadian contemporary dancers Canadian female dancers Contemporary dance choreographers Members of the Order of Canada People from Terrace, British Columbia People from Vancouver Prix Benois de la Danse winners Canadian women choreographers