Hi...


Just a few short days after my post which mentioned Marty Short and Paul Shaffer, Marty Short appeared as a guest on the David Letterman Show.  


During that show, David Letterman pointed out that both Marty Short and  Paul Shaffer had become Officers of The Order of Canada at which point, the camera zoomed in The Order of Canada pin which each was proudly wearing. 


 Nice!  :-) 


I'm glad to have seen that show because it warms my heart when I hear famous people express pride in their roots, in their home-bases.


It is also inspiring for me to pass along this information to young people who are hopefully reading my posts. 


It serves to remind me that we can accomplish so much when we follow our dreams with passion and conviction, as these now-famous gentlemen have done.




So, today I thought I'd mention two world-celebrated dancers, who grew up in Ontario's Golden Horseshoe area and who followed their dreams: 


                       Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn 

Ms. Kain and Mr. Augustyn are also Officers of The Order of Canada and both were born in Hamilton, ON.





Karen Kain:

http://national.ballet.ca/thecompany/artisticstaff/Karen_Kain,_C_C_/#CareerHighlights-tab 

1969	Graduates from the National Ballet School and joins the corps de ballet of The National Ballet of Canada
1970	Replaces an injured Veronica Tennant in Swan Lake during a tour of the Southern United States and is promoted to Principal Dancer
1971	Promoted to Principal Dancer
1972	Performs with Rudolf Nureyev in The Sleeping Beauty in Houston, Texas
	Makes her debut in Romeo and Juliet with Frank Augustyn
1973	Awarded the Silver Medal in the Women's Category at the 2nd International Ballet Competition in Moscow. She also, with Frank Augustyn, won the 1st prize for Best Pas de Deux
1974	Dances in Don Juan in Toronto and La Sylphide in New York with Rudolf Nureyev
	First dances with Roland Petit's Le Ballet National de Marseille and returns as guest artist throughout the next decade
1975	Dances with Rudolf Nureyev in The Sleeping Beauty with the London Festival Ballet
1976	Made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
1977	Dances the lead role in Giselle with the Bolshoi Ballet on a Soviet Tour as Guest Artist
1977	Karen Kain Ballerina is aired on CBC Television
1980	Guest artist with Makarova and Company
	Guest artist with Le Ballet de Marseille in New York
1986	Dances in the world premiere of Glen Tetley's Alice
1987	Performs in Impromptu, choreographed by Eliot Feld, at the National Ballet's 35th Anniversary Gala
1988	A gala performance, "Celebrating Kain", held in honour of Ms. Kain's 20 years with the National Ballet
1989	Karen Kain Prima Ballerina aired on CBC Television
1991	Reunited with Frank Augustyn in the Balcony Pas de Deux from Romeo and Juliet at the National Ballet's 40th Anniversary Gala
	James Kudelka creates Musings for the Glory of Mozart Festival as a tribute to Ms. Kain
	Made Companion of the Order of Canada
1992	Performing Arts Award from the Toronto Arts Awards
1993	John Neumeier creates Now and Then for Ms. Kain
1994	James Kudelka creates The Actress in honour of Ms. Kain's 25th anniversary with the National Ballet
	The National Ballet of Canada's 1994/95 season is dedicated to Ms. Kain
	Creates the role of Frau Gabor in James Kudelka's Spring Awakening
	Movement Never Lies: An Autobiography by Karen Kain with Stephen Godfrey and Penelope Reed Doob is published by McClelland & Stewart
1995	Performs the role of Natalia Petrova in sir Frederick Ashton's A Month in the Country, staged by Anthony Dowell for The National Ballet of Canada - this is the first time the ballet is performed by another company other than Britain's Royal Ballet
1996	Is the first Canadian to be honoured with the Cartier Lifetime Achievement Award
1996	Announces her retirement as Principal Dancer with The National Ballet of Canada following the 1996/97 season.
1997	Embarks on a cross Canada Farewell Tour presented by Livent Inc performing James Kudelka's The Actress
	Honoured with Governor General's Award - National Arts Centre Award
1998	Becomes Artist-in-Residence at The National Ballet of Canada
	Inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame
1999	Appointed Artistic Associate at The National Ballet of Canada
2001	Named an Officier of the Ordre des arts et letters by the French Government
2002	Receives the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement
	Receives The Commemorative Medal for the Golden Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
2004	Re-stages Rudolf Nureyev's The Sleeping Beauty to critical acclaim
	Invited by Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to speak to Harvard's Canada Seminar about the challenges facing artists and arts organizations in Canada
2004	Named Board Chair of the Canada Council for the Arts
2005	Appointed Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada
	Inducted into the Hamilton Gallery of Distinction
	Tundra Books publishes Karen Kain's The Nutcracker based on The National Ballet of Canada's production
2007	Receives the Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award sponsored by the City of Toronto
2008	The Karen Kain School of the Arts officially opens - the school is named after Karen Kain by the children for her significant contributions to the arts over her career
2009	Appointed President of the Jury for the 2009 Prix de Lausanne
	Appears as guest judge on CTV’s So You Think You Can Dance Canada
2011	Receives the Distinguished Artist Award by the International Society for the PerformingArts

Source: http://national.ballet.ca/thecompany/artisticstaff/Karen_Kain,_C_C_/#CareerHighlights-tab 






Frank Augustyn:

Frank Augustyn ballet dancer, artistic director

2000 Gallery of Distinction Inductee

Frank Augustyn began training in acrobatics at the age of seven. At 19, he was a National Ballet star.

Augustyn, the son of a Hamilton, east-end steelworker, fell in love with dance after watching the National Ballet perform at the Palace Theatre on King Street East. He attended Toronto's prestigious National Ballet School and began his climb to a successful measure of international glory.

This great figure of the performing arts partnered up with another Hamilton-born star, Karen Kain. The two dancers had an intense charisma on stage that audiences adored. Both Augustyn and Kain used their National Ballet performances to springboard their dance careers.

Augustyn's professional experience is rich and extensive. He has been a guest teacher and choreographer at the following schools and institutes; Quinte School of Ballet, Unionville School of the Arts, Ryerson Polytechnic University, York University, Earl Haig School of the Arts, The Boston School of Ballet and the National Ballet School of Canada. He's also held the position of artistic director (1986 to present) for Le Gala Des Etoile -- a Montreal based gala organization presenting international stars in places like Japan, Athens, Jerusalem and Toronto.

This intense dancer's repertoire includes; Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote and The Tin Soldier (for which he received a Gemini Award Nomination in 1993). And he's performed in Great Britain, Germany, Monaco and Switzerland -- the list is endless.

Footnotes: The Classics of Ballet was a 20 part series that Augustyn co-produced, co-wrote and hosted (the piece appeared on the BRAVO! Television Network from 1995 to 1997). Other television appearances include; La Fille Mal Garde (CBC), Giselle (CBC), The Karen Kain Special (CBC) and Robin Hood (CBC).

Frank Augustyn's awards include; Officer, Order of Canada (1979), Vanier Award (1979), and Winner Best Couple Award, Second International Ballet Competition, Moscow (1973) with Karen Kain.

Augustyn's passion for the ballet has always been the strength behind his great talent. His love of dance also explains the time and effort he's put into teaching (he's always been a role model for aspiring dancers) and helping others realize the beauty that lies within the art of dance. And perhaps realizing himself, that his intense and deep love for his craft, always wanting to be better and always wanting more, made him the best -- "What I would like to have is my youth extended...to dance and dance until I'm sick of it."

Source: http://www.myhamilton.ca/people/frank-augustyn

The dance is one of my passions also.  

Karen Kain and Frank Augustyn followed their passion for dance - they followed their dreams and their dreams became reality.  

Both dancers are now dedicated to helping young people pursue their own passion for the art of dance. 

Golden!  :-) 

'til next time! 

Patti Zonta