Karen Kain

Kain, Karen (b Hamilton, Ont., 28 Mar. 1951). Canadian dancer. She studied at the National Ballet of Canada School and joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1969. A versatile dancer whose powerful classical technique was linked with unusual dramatic intensity, she was appointed principal in 1970, dancing the classical and 20th-century repertories with equal success. Though she was guest artist with Ballet National de Marseilles for several seasons (1974-82) and also guested with many other companies, she was the first Canadian ballerina to make her international reputation without permanently leaving her native country. She created roles in many ballets including Petit's Nana (Paris Opera, 1976), and Tetley's Alice and La Ronde (both 1987). She frequently partnered Nureyev at home and abroad and has appeared several times on television. She was recipient of the Order of Canada in 1976. During her forties she relinquished most of the ballerina roles but continued to perform less-demanding roles, creating the lead in Kudelka's The Actress (1994). Director of the National Ballet of Canada from 2005.

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