It's a job that has meant Paul's met a number of great artists including Spandau Ballet, Heather Small, The Zutons and Ronan Keating.

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He and his wife of 56 years have given millions to causes including the National Ballet School of Canada and National Gallery of Canada.

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It also hosts various touring ballet companies, including the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet.

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The company will host a special Sandy fundraiser on Feb. 26, "Fall and Recovery, " featuring stars from other corners of the dance world, including New York City Ballet's Wendy Whelan and American Ballet Theatre's Irina Dvorovenko.

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The 15, 000-seat theatre is in such good shape that performances are still held here, including an annual summertime opera and ballet festival.

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At the Pacific Northwest Ballet, a Seattle company that says it has lost a fifth of its government funds in recent years, the marketing team is pushing harder to sell the ballet as a "date night" activity, including charging extra for access to a separate lounge with cocktails at intermission.

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Today it is home to several major companies, including the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Eifman Ballet of Saint Petersburg, the Martha Graham Dance Company, and the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, as well as the Encores!

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Honourees include Gregory Maguire, author of more than a dozen novels for children and adults, including Wicked, the basis for the eponymous Broadway musical, and Mikko Nissinen, artistic director for the Boston Ballet.

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