Evan McKie: his 20th professional season in 2021

Evan McKie, reflects on his career as he eagerly enters his 20th professional season in 2021

Interview by Deborah Weiss

Evan McKie admits he is a late bloomer. His steady rise to the top of his profession has been driven by a constant and very deep passion for the art form and what can be described as a profound and honest respect for the people around him. He is the team player and the individual. His extraordinary empathy, his curiosity to learn and absorb, are qualities that have allowed him to become an artist of the highest calibre. Principal dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Myriam Simon says of him, “Evan is the real deal. No fakery. He’s genuine and interested. He actually cares about the people around him. He keeps surprising the world with these incredibly nuanced performances.”

Partner and friend Diana Vishneva says, “Evan knows what it is to be within the dialogue on stage. It’s very precious. He lets a ballerina be herself onstage. I remember how fast we found a common language.”

When we speak, as always, he maintains a positive disposition and his intelligence and integrity, which is so apparent in his performances, reveals itself again in his articulate responses to my questions.