National Ballet of Canada

National Ballet of Canada
General information
NameNational Ballet of Canada
Year founded1951
First artistic directorCelia Franca
Principal venueFour Seasons Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Websitenational.ballet.ca
Senior staff
Executive DirectorBarry Hughson
Artistic staff
Artistic DirectorHope Muir
Music DirectorDavid Briskin
Other
Associated schoolsThe National Ballet School of Canada
Formation
  • Principal Dancer
  • Principal Character Artist (1985–2023)
  • First Soloist
  • Second Soloist
  • Corps de Ballet
  • Apprentice

The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca, the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 by artistic director Hope Muir. Renowned for its diverse repertoire, the company performs traditional full-length classics, embraces contemporary work and encourages the creation of new ballets, as well as the development of Canadian dancers and choreographers.

The company's repertoire includes works by Sir Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, John Cranko, Rudolf Nureyev, John Neumeier, William Forsythe, James Kudelka, Wayne McGregor, Alexei Ratmansky, Crystal Pite, Christopher Wheeldon, Aszure Barton, Guillaume Côté and Robert Binet. The National Ballet tours in Canada and internationally, with appearances in London, Paris, Hamburg, Moscow, St. Petersburg, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco.