Principal dancers Greta Hodgkinson and Aleksandar Antonijevic perform a scene from Crystal Pite's Emergence in March. The production, which won four Dora Awards, was among the National Ballet's highlights of 2008-2009.Principal dancers Greta Hodgkinson and Aleksandar Antonijevic perform a scene from Crystal Pite's Emergence in March. The production, which won four Dora Awards, was among the National Ballet's highlights of 2008-2009. (Cylla von Tiedemann/National Ballet of Canada)

The National Ballet of Canada has weathered the tough economic climate of the past year with what it called a "manageable deficit" of $423,000, organizers announced during the company's annual general meeting in Toronto on Thursday.

Officials touted the company's artistic triumphs amid the economic challenges of the 2008-2009 season.

"The [National Ballet's] artistic quality was praised around the world and recognized at home in the midst of the shock of the economic downturn. The challenges of the year were consistently met with analysis and adaptation in response to the changing environment," said board chair Lucille Joseph.

The company's 2008-2009 expenses exceeded the year's revenues, resulting in a shortfall of $638,000.

National Ballet 2008-2009 revenue breakdown:
  • Box office: 40 per cent.
  • Fundraising: 29 per cent.
  • Government grants: 26 per cent.
  • Other income: 3 per cent.
  • Endowment foundation: 2 per cent.

Given the ballet's accumulated surplus of $215,000, the company ended up with an accumulated deficit of $423,000, officials said.

Artistic director Karen Kain recounted the past year's programming highlights, including productions of John Neumeier's The Seagull, Twyla Tharp's In The Upper Room and Davide Bombana's Carmen, as well as the troupe's four Dora Mavor Moore Award wins for Crystal Pite's Emergence and the bittersweet retirement of principal dancer Chan Hon Goh.

The company's 378 performances and outreach events also included brief tours, including four performances in New York and a trio in Ottawa. However, in July, fearing a deficit that would approach $1 million, the company postponed a planned fall tour of Western Canada.

Kevin Garland, company executive director, extended her thanks to donors and patrons who continued to support the ballet and, especially, to staff for taking cost-cutting measures.

"Along with the extraordinary year-end campaign, the entire staff worked tirelessly to find savings in every department. I want to thank everyone on staff that helped the company through very personal sacrifices with pay freezes, pay cuts and unpaid days," Garland said.

The National Ballet kicks off its 2009-2010 season on Nov. 13 with the return of the classic ballet The Sleeping Beauty.