Alberta Ballet's Jean Grand-Maitre joins Order of Canada

Alberta Ballet artistic director Jean Grand-Maitre saysbeing named tothe Order of Canada, officially announced Thursday, is one of the highlights of his career a careerfilled with some pretty spectacularhighlights.

"It's the most emotional honour I've ever had," Grand-Maitre saidin an interview with Radio-Canada.

Grand-Maitre learned about the honour two weeks before Christmas, through a phone call.

The choreographer and creative force behind Alberta Ballet since joining the company in 2002, Grand-Maitre's first reaction was to call his folks.

"The first emotion I had when I heard the news I was receiving Order of Canada was to think of my parents andhow much they sacrificed for me to become an artist," he said.

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The Governor General cited Grand-Maitre "forhis creative contributions as a choreographer, and for his leadership as the artistic director of Alberta Ballet."

That includes creating, in collaboration with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, kd lang and the Tragically Hip, a number of "portraitballets" in recent years that helped draw international attention to the Calgary-based ballet company.

Grand-Maitre also choreographed the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympicsin Vancouver.

Prior to joining Alberta Ballet in 2002, Grand-Maitre danced with Montreal's L'Ecole Superieure de Dance du Quebec, Ballet BC and Theatre Ballet of Canada.

As a choreographer, Grand-Maitre has created new work for numerous international arts companies, including the Opera National de Paris, the Teatro alla Scala in Millan, the Stuttgart Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and many others.

Grand-Maitre said he hoped that by recognizing a performing arts company based in Western Canada, that the designation would shine a spotlight on the creativity of the region.

"It's a celebration for the performing arts in Western Canada as well," he said.

"There's lots of beautiful things happening there, so it's nice to be recognized on a national stage."

Grand-Maitre was one of eight Albertansto receive the Order of Canada designation Thursday.

The others were Indigenous activist Leroy Little Bear (Lethbridge), Olympic athlete Becky Scott (Canmore), philanthropists Charles Fisher and Joanne Cuthbertson (Calgary), mediator Roger Philip Kerans (Calgary), and Edmonton video game developers Raymond Alexander Muzyka and Gregory Zeschuk.

2019 National Tours

Grand-Maitre's Alberta Ballet will be busy in 2019, with tours planned for The Fiddle and the Drum, his portrait ballet co-created with Joni Mitchell, as well as for All of Us, the Tragically Hip-inspired ballet that Grand-Maitredescribed as "a post-apocalyptic ballet that's against fascism."

Once the announcement went out early Thursday morning, Grand-Maitre said he was overwhelmed with messages from artistic colleagues, friends and collaborators around the globe.

"You remember all the people you've worked with and all the artistswho collaborated with you designers, dancers composers and you remember all the people who helped you in your career sustain your visions.

"And it takes a lot of people to make a dance company thrive."

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With files fromFuatSeker, Radio-Canada.