Canada’s National Ballet School is celebrating its 50th anniversary starting in September, 2009, and has a year full of exciting events planned! From visual displays to conferences, dance performances and festivals, it will be an unforgettable year. 

In addition to turning 50 with style, NBS will continue to offer its regular programs: National Audition Tour, Professional Programs and Community Programs. Please visit our website at www.nbs-enb.ca.  

Turn Out for the 50th! NBS Alumni Reunion

Date: Friday April 23 – Sunday April 25, 2010
Location: Canada’s National Ballet School, 400 Jarvis Street, Toronto ON

Details: The Alumni of Canada’s National Ballet School, will meet next spring to celebrate the School's past and toast its future. Travelling from across Canada, the United States, Europe and points further afield alumni will come together on the weekend of April 23, 24, 25, 2010, to share memories, catch up with old friends and mark the School’s 50th Anniversary.

The Alumni Association invites you to celebrate with former classmates, teachers and staff.

Register online or print our registration form

Ticket price:
Friday – FREE
Saturday (full day) – $105
Saturday evening reception ONLY – $30
Sunday (full day) – $45
ENTIRE WEEKEND – $150

Do you live in the Greater Toronto Area?
Would you be willing to accommodate visiting alumni? If yes, please email .

View the Alumni Reunion Schedule of Events. Check back for updates on March 3, 2010

View recommended hotels in the area that have offered NBS alumni a special rate for the weekend

if you'd like to participate

Letter to Alumni about International Dance Day

Check out our Alumni page

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International Dance Day

Date: Thursday April 29, 2010
Location: TBA

Details: NBS is celebrating International Dance Day like no other! Join us at noon on April 29 at the Toronto Eaton Centre as we celebrate dance and movement en masse. Beginning in February, our Teacher Training Students will be teaching a 3 minute dance routine choreographed by Matjash Mrozewski – a former NBS grad. (Check back to the website after February 6 to see a clip of the routine).

We’re looking for motivated members of the NBS community to join us in this exciting event.

Rehearsals will be offered at NBS from February onwards and a schedule will be posted on this site once we know how many people want to participate. If you are interested, please fill out the online form (or print it out and fax it to 416-964-5133, attention: K. Harris). Once we know how many people are interested in participating, we’ll program a rehearsal schedule to accommodate a variety of options (daytime, weekends, evenings etc.) and let you know via email when the schedule is posted.

We’re thrilled to have the production team of Hightop working with us on this project. They’ll be filming the dance sequence onsite at the Eaton Centre. Once it’s edited, we’ll upload it to our website, YouTube and Facebook pages.

We need your participation to make this a success – so please join us!

Register online

Photo release

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Spring Showcase

Date: Thursday May 27 – Saturday May 29, 2010
Location: Betty Oliphant Theatre, 404 Jarvis Street, Toronto ON

Details: Since 1959, our Spring Showcase has been a renowned annual performance tradition at NBS, a mainspring performance vehicle for the students in the School's full-time Professional Ballet Program. Presenting captivating dance and celebrating leading choreographers with the community, this highly anticipated event embraces some of the most well-known classical and modern ballets of all time.

Details of the 2009/2010 Spring Showcase will be announced soon, so check back for updates!

Notice: A one year postponement of David Allan's choreographic piece. NBS alumnus and internationally respected choreographer, David Allan and Canada's National Ballet School have mutually agreed to postpone Mr. Allan's creation of a new ballet by one year – from 2009/10 to 2010/11.

Mr. Allan recently underwent major spine surgery and now must honour his recuperation needs. While Mr. Allan is deeply disappointed not to be creating a new work to celebrate NBS' 50th anniversary, as originally planned, he is very much looking forward to working with NBS students twelve months from now, when he is fully recovered.

Check out our Spring Showcase 2009 archives.

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Historic Assembly

Date: Monday September 28, 2009
Location: "Quaker Meeting House" / Currie Hall

Details: On September 28, 1959, Canada’s National Ballet School opened on Maitland Street. To commemorate this date and the beginning of the School’s 50th anniversary, a ceremony was held in Currie Hall, the building that first housed the School’s students. Beginning with the School’s opening in 1959 through until 1963, all our ballet and academic classes were taught in this one facility with the exception being sciences classes, which were taken at the nearby Jarvis Collegiate.

Following the ceremony, guests were invited to walk through the Celia Franca Centre on Jarvis Street, and observe archived materials: photographs, artwork and ephemera displayed on five levels – each level showcasing a decade’s worth of memories.

Learn more about Currie Hall.

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Assemblée Internationale 2009

Collaboration. Choreography. Conference. A Student Centred-Dance Celebration.

Date: Sunday November 15 – Sunday November 22, 2009
Location: Betty Oliphant Theatre, 404 Jarvis Street, Toronto ON

Details: For one week in November, Canada’s National Ballet School played host to an international choreographic festival. Students from 12 participating schools participated in the first-ever Assemblée Internationale, 2009: Collaboration. Choreography. Conference. A Student-Centred Dance Celebration (AI09), celebrating student choreography and the art of dance.

Each school performed two works: one, a traditional dance piece of their choosing; the second work created by a student, performed by a group composed of students from each of the partner schools. A forum was also held for the Artistic Directors of the partner schools and other invited guests to discuss the evolution of ballet education, and methods of strengthening its relevance and ensuring the vibrancy of its community. Following the festival, students, teachers and invited guests participated in a one-day long Ideas Exchange/Student Forum, spotlighting ways in which current and emerging practitioners would like to see the art form and professional practices evolve.

Read more on our AI09 pages.

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Fête d’Or Gala

Date: Saturday February 6, 2010
Location: The Fairmont Royal York, 100 Front Street West, Toronto ON

Details: On Saturday, February 6, 2010, Canada’s National Ballet School hosted its annual signature fundraising gala. This year, we celebrated with a theme of Fête d’Or or "gold celebration" in keeping with this momentous occasion. As the traditional gift on a 50th anniversary is gold, we will create a golden evening of festivities to mark this milestone in NBS’ history.

Our 800+ guest list consisted of Toronto’s most influential taste-leaders who, in keeping with the theme of the celebration, gathered to honour Joan and Jerry Lozinski, two dedicated philanthropists who play a vital role in helping to ensure the future of many leading arts institutions including Canada’s National Ballet School. We also honoured the leadership, work and vision of our Artistic Director and Co-CEO, Mavis Staines.

Patrons of Fête d’Or joined the glamour of a party experience that was textured, original and fun set against the elegant backdrop of The Fairmont Royal York. We listened to favourite songs mixed with a contemporary beat, sipped on signature martinis, enjoyed an exquisite culinary experience, and witnessed an inspiring repertoire of dance performances that
showcased the exceptional talent of NBS students. After dinner, we raised paddled high to bid on some exciting Live Auction items and experiences, and danced the night away! All this, wrapped into one amazing night!

Check out our Fête d’Or webpage

Check out our 2009 Gala archives

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