The National Ballet of Canada Frontiers: Choreographers of Canada – Pite/Kudelka/Portner
Freesheet
Passion
2 & 3 October, 7:30pm
McGee Maddox+* and Heather Ogden
Larkin Miller and Genevieve Penn Nabity
Donald Thom and Chelsy Meiss, Isaac Wright and Monika Haczkiewicz
Nio Hirano, Clare Peterson, Ayano Haneishi, Connor Hamilton, Miyoko Koyasu
3 October, 2:30pm
4 October, 7:30pm
Christopher Gerty and Svetlana Lunkina
Harrison James and Calley Skalnik
Oliver Yonick and Isabelle Bratt, Konstantin Tkachuk and Tene Ward
Emma Oulette, Liya Fan, Emerson Dayton, Kiera Sanford, Arielle Miralles
5 October, 2:30pm
6 October, 7:30pm
Josh Hall* and Monika Haczkiewicz*
Keaton Leier and Koto Ishihara*
Kota Sato and Brenna Flaherty, Albjon Gjorllaku and Hannah Galway
Nio Hirano, Clare Peterson, Ayano Haneishi, Connor Hamilton, Miyoko Koyasu
5 October, 7:30pm
McGee Maddox and Heather Ogden
Larkin Miller and Genevieve Penn Nabity
Donald Thom and Chelsy Meiss, Isaac Wright and Tene Ward
Emma Oulette, Liya Fan, Emerson Dayton, Kiera Sanford, Arielle Miralles
islands
2, 3 & 5 October, 7:30pm
6 October, 2:30pm
Heather Ogden and Genevieve Penn Nabity
3 & 5 October, 2:30pm
4 October, 7:30pm
Alexandra MacDonald and Hannah Galway
Angels’ Atlas
2 October, 7:30pm
Svetlana Lunkina and Ben Rudisin
Alexandra MacDonald* and Spencer Hack
Hannah Galway and Siphesihle November
Genevieve Penn Nabity
Spencer Hack and Donald Thom
3 & 5 October, 2:30pm
Heather Ogden and Harrison James
Chelsy Meiss and Donald Thom
Genevieve Penn Nabity and Spencer Hack
Alexandra MacDonald
Shaakir Muhammad* and Kota Sato
3 October, 7:30pm
Svetlana Lunkina and Ben Rudisin
Alexandra MacDonald and Spencer Hack
Hannah Galway and Siphesihle November
Alexandra MacDonald
Spencer Hack and Donald Thom
4 October, 7:30pm
Heather Ogden and Harrison James
Chelsy Meiss and Donald Thom
Genevieve Penn Nabity and Spencer Hack
Alexandra MacDonald
Shaakir Muhammad and Kota Sato
5 October, 7:30pm
Svetlana Lunkina and Ben Rudisin
Tene Ward* and Spencer Hack
Hannah Galway and Siphesihle November
Alexandra MacDonald
Spencer Hack and Donald Thom
6 October, 2:30pm
Svetlana Lunkina and Ben Rudisin
Tene Ward and Spencer Hack
Hannah Galway and Siphesihle November
Genevive Penn Nabity
Spencer Hack and Donald Thom
Ross Allen, Isabelle Bratt, Trygve Cumpston, Shaelynn Estrada, Jason Ferro, Brenna Flaherty, Hannah Galway or Genevieve Penn Nabity, Christopher Gerty or Oliver Yonick, Albjon Gjorllaku, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Spencer Hack, Monika Haczkiewicz, Josh Hall or Shaakir Muhammad, Jeannine Haller, Peng-Fei Jiang, Tirion Law or Liya Fan, Keaton Leier, Svetlana Lunkina or
Heather Ogden Alexandra MacDonald, Chelsy Meiss, Larkin Miller or Matthieu Pagès, Arielle Miralles, Siphesihle November or David Preciado, Emma Ouellet, Noah Parets, Genevieve Penn Nabity or Connor Hamilton, Clare Peterson or Ayano Haneishi, Ben Rudisin or Harrison James, Kota Sato, Calley Skalnik or Emerson Dayton, Alexander Skinner, Donald Thom, Tene Ward, Isaac Wright
+ Guest Artist
* Debut
All Casting Subject to change
Principal Dancers
Christopher Gerty
Born: Watford, England
Trained: Newcastle Dance Academy in Australia, New Zealand School of Dance and San Francisco Ballet School in California
Joined: 2014
Principal Dancer Since: 2023
Spencer Hack
Born: Toledo, Ohio
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2014
Principal Dancer Since: 2023
Koto Ishihara
Born: Nagoya, Japan
Trained: Shiho Kanazawa Ballet School in Japan, The HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton, Florida and San Francisco Ballet School in California
Joined as a First Soloist: 2019
Principal Dancer Since: 2021
Harrison James
Born: Paraparaumu, New Zealand
Trained: San Francisco Ballet School’s Trainee Program in California and New Zealand School of Dance
Joined: 2013
Principal Dancer Since: 2016
Tirion Law
Born: Hong Kong, China
Trained: New Zealand School of Dance
Joined: 2018
Principal Dancer Since: 2024
Svetlana Lunkina
Born: Moscow, Russia
Trained: Moscow Choreographic Academy in Russia
The Bolshoi Ballet: 1997–2013
Joined as a Principal Dancer: 2014
McGee Maddox
Born: Spartanburg, South Carolina
Trained: Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy, Houston, Texas
Guest Artist
Siphesihle November
Born: Zolani, South Africa
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2017
First Soloist Since: 2020
Principal Dancer Since: 2021
Heather Ogden
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Trained: Richmond Academy of Dance in British Columbia
Joined: 1998
Principal Dancer Since: 2005
Genevieve Penn Nabity
Born: Casco, Michigan
Trained: Main Stage Center for the Arts in Armada, Michigan and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2018
Principal Dancer Since: 2022
Ben Rudisin
Born: Woodbridge, Virginia
Trained: North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and Houston Ballet II in Texas
Joined: 2013
Principal Dancer Since: 2021
First Soloist
Hannah Galway
Born: Comox, British Columbia
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2017
First Soloist Since: 2024
Jeannine Haller
Born: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Trained: Place des Arts in Coquitlam, British Columbia and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2015
First Soloist Since: 2021
Alexandra MacDonald
Born: Calgary, Alberta
Trained: International School of Ballet in Calgary, Alberta and Boston Ballet School’s Trainee Program in Massachusetts
Joined: 2007
First Soloist Since: 2016
Chelsy Meiss
Born: Melbourne, Australia
Trained: Karen Curlis School of Dance, Thelma Williams School of Dance, Victorian College of the Arts and The Australian Ballet School in Melbourne
Joined: 2008
First Soloist Since: 2015
Shaakir Muhammad
Born: Brooklyn, New York
Trained: Brooklyn Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, New York
Joined as First Soloist: 2024
Calley Skalnik
Born: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Trained: Tulsa Ballet in Oklahoma and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2014
First Soloist Since: 2021
Donald Thom
Born: Kanata, Ontario
Trained: Linda Jamieson School of Dance and The Royal Ballet Upper School in UK
Joined: 2015
First Soloist Since: 2019
Second Soloists
Emerson Dayton
Born: Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
Trained: Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet
Joined: 2022
Second Soloist Since: 2024
Brenna Flaherty
Born: Boston, Massachusetts
Trained: Boston Ballet School in Massachusetts
Joined: 2016
Second Soloist Since: 2021
Selene Guerrero-Trujillo
Born: Mexico City, Mexico
Trained: The National Ballet School of Mexico and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2007
Second Soloist Since: 2022
Josh Hall
Born: Syracuse, New York
Trained: University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Second Soloist Since: 2023
Peng-Fei Jiang
Born: Anhui, China
Trained: Beijing Dance Academy and New Zealand School of Dance
Joined: 2017
Second Soloist Since: 2023
Miyoko Koyasu
Born: Togane, Japan
Trained: Hashimoto Ballet and Shimada Ballet Institute in Japan and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2011
Second Soloist Since: 2018
Keaton Leier
Born: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Trained: Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Houston Ballet II in Texas
Joined: 2022
Second Soloist Since: 2024
Larkin Miller
Born: Los Angeles, California
Trained: The School of American Ballet and American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, New York
Joined: 2016
Second Soloist Since: 2023
Noah Parets
Born: Boston, Massachusetts
Trained: Boston Ballet School in Massachusetts
Joined: 2018
Second Soloist Since: 2021
Kota Sato
Born: Tokyo, Japan
Trained: Shimura Ballet School in Japan and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2012
Second Soloist Since: 2019
Isaac Wright
Born: Belleville, Ontario
Trained: Quinte Ballet School of Canada in Belleville, Ontario and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2015
Second Soloist Since: 2024
Corps de Ballet
Ross Allen
Born: Steubenville, Ohio
Trained: Arenas Dance Company in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre in Pennsylvania and the School of American Ballet in New York City, New York
Joined: 2020
Corps de Ballet Since: 2022
Isabelle Bratt
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2022
Trygve Cumpston
Born: Des Moines, Iowa
Trained: School of Classical Ballet and Dance in Des Moines, Iowa, Orlando Ballet School and San Francisco Ballet School
Joined: 2012
Corps de Ballet Since: 2013
Shaelynn Estrada
Born: Nacogdoches, Texas
Trained: Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program in New York City, New York and The Rock School for Dance Education Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2019
Liya Fan
Born: Chengdu (Sichuan), China
Trained: Beijing Dance Academy and The Royal Ballet School London, in UK
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2023
Jason Ferro
Born: Franklinville, New Jersey
Trained: San Francisco Ballet School in California
Joined: 2018
Corps de Ballet Since: 2020
Albjon Gjorllaku
Born: London, England
Trained: The Royal Ballet School UK
Joined: 2019
Corps de Ballet Since: 2022
Monika Haczkiewicz
Born: Las Vegas, Nevada
Trained: Nevada Ballet Theatre, Kwak Ballet Academy and Tara Foy’s Elite Ballet in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nevada School of Dance and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2019
Connor Hamilton
Born: Los Angeles, California
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2020
Corps de Ballet Since: 2023
Ayano Haneishi
Born: Chiba, Japan
Trained: École de Ballet Pieds Nus and New National Theatre Ballet in Tokyo in Japan
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2019
Nio Hirano
Born: Tokyo, Japan
Trained: Pacific Dance Centre in Victoria, British Columbia, American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City, New York, Greenwich Ballet Academy in Connecticut, New York, Ellison Ballet Professional Training Program in New York City, New York and European School of Ballet in Amsterdam
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2023
Arielle Miralles
Born: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2019
Corps de Ballet Since: 2022
Emma Ouellet
Born: London, Ontario
Trained: Victoria Carter London Dance Centre in Ontario and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2020
Corps de Ballet Since: 2022
Matthieu Pagès
Born: Annecy, France
Trained: Tanz Akademie Zürich in Switzerland
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2023
Clare Peterson
Born: Kelowna, British Columbia
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2014
Corps de Ballet Since: 2016
David Preciado
Born: Los Angeles, California
Trained: Los Angeles Ballet Academy in California and San Francisco Ballet School in California
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2022
Keira Sanford
Born: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2022
Corps de Ballet Since: 2024
Alexander Skinner
Born: Ottawa, Ontario
Trained: The School of Dance in Ottawa, Ontario and Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2017
Corps de Ballet Since: 2018
Konstantin Tkachuk
Born: Donetsk, Ukraine
Trained: Kyiv State Ballet College in Ukraine
Eifman Ballet: 2010 – 2011
Mariinsky Theatre: 2011 – 2013
Mikhailovsky Theatre: 2013 – 2022
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2022
Tene Ward
Born: Sydney, Australia
Trained: Canberra Festival Ballet School in Australia, The Australian Ballet School and the European School of Ballet in Amsterdam, Netherlands
Joined: 2018
Corps de Ballet Since: 2019
Oliver Yonick
Born: Toronto, Ontario
Trained: Canada’s National Ballet School
Joined: 2020
Joined as Corps de Ballet: 2023
Stage Management
Jeff Morris
Stage Manager
Born in Toronto, Jeff Morris studied technical theatre production and administration at Ryerson’s Theatre School (now Toronto Metropolitan University). From 1990 to 1995, he was Production Stage Manager for Toronto Dance Theatre, including the company’s debuts in Berlin, Warsaw, Beijing, Tokyo and the Joyce Theater, New York. He has worked as a Production Stage Manager for Dancers for Life (AIDS Committee of Toronto, 1991 – 1997), Stage Manager for Theatre Passe-Muraille (Never Swim Alone, Metamorphosis of a Shadow), da da kamera (House), Theatre Smith-Gilmour (To Cry Is Not So, In the Wings of Eden) and for the Fringe Festival of Independent Dance Artists.
Jeff joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1995 and has since stage-managed a wide range of the company’s unique classical and contemporary repertoire, including the world premieres of James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons, Cinderella and An Italian Straw Hat, Crystal Pite’s Emergence and Angels’ Atlas, Guillaume Côté’s Le Petit Prince and Frame by Frame (with Robert Lepage), Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet and Wayne McGregor’s MADDADDAM. Company premieres include John Neumeier’s The Seagull, A Streetcar Named Desire, Nijinsky and Anna Karenina, and Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and The Winter’s Tale. Special events include 10 competitions for The Erik Bruhn Prize and company tours to Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Sadlers’ Wells, The Music Centre and Théâtre des Champs Elysées.
His freelance work in Toronto’s dance community has included artists and companies such as Julia Sasso, Sasha Ivanochko, Nova Bhattacharya, Dancemakers, DanceWorks, Peggy Baker Dance Projects and The Citadel + Compagnie.
In addition to his work with the National Ballet, he has taught and mentored stage managers at The Banff Centre and SMArts and is Festival Co-Director for the biannual dance: made in Canada/fait au Canada.
Alex Wommack
Stage Manager
Alex Wommack (she/her) was born and raised in Waco, Texas and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. Her passion for ballet led her to work with Alabama Ballet while completing her undergraduate degree. At Alabama Ballet, she stage-managed works by Jiří Kylián, Agnes de Mille and Sir Frederick Ashton. Following graduation, she moved to Seattle and joined the Stage Management team at Seattle Opera, where highlights included Porgy and Bess, The Barber of Seville and Flight. In 2017, worked with Pacific Northwest Ballet as an Assistant Stage Manager for George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker and then joined the company as Stage Manager in 2020. She is a member of AGMA and served two terms as the staging staff representative for the Northwest area on the National Board of Governors. Outside of her professional work, Alex is actively involved with Books to Prisoners, an organization that fosters a love of reading and help break the cycle of recidivism in American prisons.