Jillian Vanstone

Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, announced promotions for the 2022/23 season. 

Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for the world premieres of Skyward by Alysa Pires and On Solid Ground by Siphesihle November, the Canadian premiere of After the Rain by Christopher Wheeldon and Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations. Principal Dancer Jillian Vanstone retires after 22 years with the National Ballet and will appear in After the Rain, acquired in her honour, and Elite Syncopations. The programme is onstage March 9 – March 13, 2022 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. 

Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that the company will return to live performances at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in March as planned.

Barry Hughson, Executive Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for the long-awaited return to live performance. The 2021/22 season will open with Angels’ Atlas by Crystal Pite and Serenade by George Balanchine, onstage November 11 – 27, 2021 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

Barry Hughson, Executive Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that Principal Dancer Jillian Vanstone will retire in 2022 after an incredible 22-year career with the company.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, and Barry Hughson, Executive Director, today announced that the 2019/20 season concluded with a deficit for the first time since 2009, a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Annual General Meeting was held today at 7:00 pm virtually from Toronto.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for The Nutcracker. This season, First Soloist Koto Ishihara makes her debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy. The holiday favourite is onstage December 12 - January 4, 2020 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. #TheNutcrackerNBC

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Etudes by Danish choreographer Harald Lander, Alexei Ratmansky's Piano Concerto #1 and the company premiere of Jiří Kylián's Petite Mort. The mixed programme is onstage November 27 - December 1, 2019 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. #EtudesNBC #PianoConcerto1NBC #PetiteMortNBC

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Giselle which will feature several milestone events as well as important debuts. Giselle opens the 2019/20 season, which celebrates Ms. Kain's 50th anniversary with the company, and is onstage November 6 a?" 10, 2019 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. #GiselleNBC

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the 2019/20 season roster which features 68 dancers and 10 RBC Apprentices.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for The Merry Widow which concludes the 2018/19 season June 19 - 23, 2019 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Principal Dancer Xiao Nan Yu will retire from the stage at the end of the season performing the title role of Hanna Galwari. 

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the casting for Physical Thinking, an all William Forsythe programme featuring the company premieres of The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Approximate Sonata 2016, with the return of The Second Detail.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by acclaimed British choreographer Christopher Wheeldon. Having performed to sold-out houses in London, New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Toronto, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland returns to the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts March 7-17, 2019.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for the winter mixed programme of George Balanchine's Apollo, the Canadian premiere of Night by Julia Adam, Choreographic Associate Robert Binet's The Sea Above, The Sky Below and a new adaptation of Paquita by Associate Artistic Director Christopher Stowell. The programme opens the company's Winter Season and is onstage March 1 - 3 & March 20 - 21, 2019. 

The National Ballet, under the guidance of its artistic director, the legendary Karen Kain, brought Ottawa a treat this week. Three short ballets, each with a vastly different feel, graced the stage of Southam Hall.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, and Barry Hughson, Executive Director, today announced that the company returns to the National Arts Centre, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary season. The National Ballet will perform a triple bill featuring Justin Peck's Paz de la Jolla, George Balanchine's Apollo and Frederick Ashton's The Dream, onstage January 31 February 2, 2019. #NBOConTour

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada today announced the lineup of Cannon Dolls for The Nutcracker. This year's list of headliners include Toronto Maple Leafs players, members of ARKELLS and author Emma Donoghue. The holiday favourite has a long-standing tradition of inviting Canadian luminaries and personalities to appear onstage in the guest roles with nearly 1,100 notable personalities making cameo appearances onstage to date.

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for The Nutcracker. First Soloist Jack Bertinshaw makes his debut this season as Peter/The Nutcracker. Corps de Ballet Member Ethan Watts will debut as Uncle Nikolai.  

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Frederick Ashton's The Dream and Guillaume Cote's Being and Nothingness. The mixed programme is onstage November 21 - 25, 2018 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. #TheDreamNBC #BeingandNothingnessNBC

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for the company's upcoming tour to Hamburg, Germany with an all-Canadian programme featuring The Dreamers Ever Leave You by Choreographic Associate Robert Binet, James Kudelka's The Man in Black and Emergence by Crystal Pite. The National Ballet will perform as part of the 44th Hamburg Ballet Days, a two-week festival of dance, for two performances July 3 - 4, 2018 at Großes Haus. This will be the company's first appearance in Hamburg since 1994.