Dance and Destiny

7:30 pm, Friday, May 7, 2027

Guest Artist: Natalya Gennadi, Soprano

Join the Etobicoke Philharmonic on Friday, May 7, 2027 at Martingrove Collegiate Institute - 50 Winterton Drive, Etobicoke (map) - for Dance and Destiny.

Special guest soprano Natalya Gennadi returns to EPO to close our Friday concert series on a high note with arias that celebrate our urge to move to the music.

Florence Price’s Dances in the Canebrakes draws on early 20th century African American culture. Toe-tapping “Nimble Feet” feet and sultry “Tropical Noon” are followed by a “Silk hat and Walking Cane” cake walk that mocks harsh plantation owners strutting their finery. The dances come from a history shaped by oppression and resilience.

This hardship behind the dance is a timeless theme: 75 years earlier on another continent, Tchaikovsky’s sweeping Symphony No. 4 evokes the darkness of struggling with destiny and escaping the tension with a scherzo. When fate smiles at last, the piece explodes with exuberant Russian dance rhythms.

Tickets on sale Friday, April 2, 2027. Follow us on Eventbrite for notifications.