EPISODE · Jun 25, 2026 · 25 MIN
How Siphe November changed ballet in Canada, and a floating convenience store goes viral
from Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud
Siphe November took his final bow as principal dancer at the National Ballet of Canada in Wayne McGregor’s adaptation of MADDADDAM this past weekend. As Siphe prepares to join the Dutch National Ballet as soloist, culture critic Syrus Marcus Ware and ballet critic Martha Schabas join Elamin to talk about his meteoric rise at the National Ballet and the pressure he’s faced as the second Black dancer to be made principal at the company.Also, a public art piece featuring a floating convenience store has enchanted Torontonians and people around the world. Some have even swam and paddled up to it, hoping it might just be real. Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with Charlene K. Lau, an art critic and public art curator, about the unexpected ways people engage with public art.
What this episode covers
Siphe November took his final bow as principal dancer at the National Ballet of Canada in Wayne McGregor’s adaptation of MADDADDAM this past weekend. As Siphe prepares to join the Dutch National Ballet as soloist, culture critic Syrus Marcus Ware and ballet critic Martha Schabas join Elamin to talk about his meteoric rise at the National Ballet and the pressure he’s faced as the second Black dancer to be made principal at the company.Also, a public art piece featuring a floating convenience store has enchanted Torontonians and people around the world. Some have even swam and paddled up to it, hoping it might just be real. Elamin Abdelmahmoud chats with Charlene K. Lau, an art critic and public art curator, about the unexpected ways people engage with public art.
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How Siphe November changed ballet in Canada, and a floating convenience store goes viral
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