National Ballet of Canada’s Guillaume Côté takes on most difficult role

He’s arguably one of Canada’s greatest dancers and this year he’s tackling his most challenging role to date.

For eight months, Global’s 16×9 was granted rare, behind-the-scenes access to Guillaume Côté’s world – as he took on the lead role in the National Ballet of Canada’s production of Nijinsky.

“Guillaume is enormously gifted,” says the National Ballet of Canada’s artistic director, Karen Kain. “He’s a technical dancer, he’s an emotional dancer, he’s a very musical dancer. He gives everything he’s got.”

Nijinsky tells the story of Vaslav Nijinsky – considered the greatest male dancer of the early 20th century. “There’s people who say he never touched the floor – that he jumped forever,” says Côté.

Nijinsky was a tragic figure, however. At only 29 years old, Nijinsky began to lose his mind and spent the final three decades of his life in an asylum.

“I would have to say that probably is the hardest part about this particular role is you have to go insane,” says Côté.

To show Nijinsky’s unravelling, Côté must violently thrash and hurl his body on the stage.

“There are some jumps where you just you just crash. You just have to kind of forget that it’s going to hurt, says Côté. “You rehearse to a point where you can’t go anymore, and then you have to keep going.”

What makes this production even more unique is that the role of Nijinsky’s wife is played by Côté’s real life wife, Heather Ogden.

“Obviously right off the bat I think people will see there’s a definite love and care,” says Côté. “I think that kind of role is incredible to do together.”

Côté admits he’s feeling the pressure of taking on such a substantial role, but Karen Kain has faith.

“In 20 years, you’ll say ‘I saw Guillaume Côté dance.’”

Watch Guillaume Côté’s journey to centre stage on Global’s 16×9, Friday at 8pm AT/MT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET/PT.