FIRST OFF . . .

Five Polish ballet dancers defected in Canada on Tuesday, telling authorities they want greater artistic freedom and to learn new techniques in dancing. The four men and one woman all were soloists with the Warsaw National Ballet and left the troupe in Hamilton, Ontario, about 40 miles west of Toronto. Canadian Immigration Department spokesman Frank Stanek said one of the five went to an immigration office Tuesday seeking information on how to apply for asylum. He said each case would be judged on its merits. The dancers--identified as Marek Fiertek, 23, Jurek Fender, 28, Danuta Gaszynska, 21, Robert Glumbek, 23, Miroslaw Zydowicz, 21, and Jan Izdanowicz, 25--apparently planned to audition for the National Ballet of Canada, but a spokesman said they hadn’t yet contacted the company. The Polish troupe, touring North America, performed “Giselle” in Hamilton on Saturday night and again in nearby Kitchener, Ontario, on Sunday night. The troupe previously danced in Chicago, Buffalo and Detroit and left Canada on Tuesday for Albany, N.Y.