Assemblée | Events | Canada's National Ballet School

Established by Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) in 2009, the Assemblée festival (formerly Assemblée Internationale) is an Olympic calibre gathering of pre-professional dancers, artistic/school directors, ballet educators and admin leads from training schools and organizations across the globe. A unique and dynamic international event, Assemblée empowers young artists to develop as leaders and create meaningful connections with their peers. Collaboration is the essential and central value of each version of the festival. 

Assemblée 2027 will build on the promises made to young people at Assemblée Internationale 2023 to own our accountability in advancing equity and creating the change needed in our beloved art form of ballet.

Assemblée Internationale 2023 created the conditions to bravely talk about and collectively move toward this shared purpose through three core values, which will carry into the 2027 festival:  

1. People first, then dancers  

2. Meet people where they are (in their personal/ organizational learning)  

3. The spirit of collaboration; the power of community  

To engage in this work is to seek context, understand histories, investigate legacies and recognize continued pervasiveness of systemic racism across societies and social structures. This is also deeply personal work of exploring and dismantling unconscious and implicit biases. Any system—be it politics, health, or ballet—that does not actively address anti-Black racism inhibits itself from realizing its fullest potential. That is to say, in not actively addressing the necessity for systemic rebalance, we remain committed to systemic racism and passively perpetuate all inequities, holding the art form back from true pursuit of greatness.  

Assemblée 2027 will deepen accountability and further empower ownership on the parts of Artistic Directors and organizational leads to create systemic change so that the language of ballet is ever more relevant and powerful for the full diversity of society. And, as youth have already named, though change will take time, complacency is not an option. 

Key Programming and Engagement Highlights in the Build to Assemblée 2027 will include:  

• Ongoing Discussions: Conversations in the build to and at AI23 focused on identity, privilege, anti-Black racism in ballet, defining racial literacy and what cultural competence looks like in individuals, at organizations and within the art form of ballet. Deeper inquiry and discussion, specifically with attention to the ballet dancer body, race and aesthetics, continue with Artistic Directors, educators and organizational leads in the build to Assemblée 2027.  

• Learning Sessions: Online panels, keynotes, discussions and education activities will be presented to students and staff at participating organizations in the lead up to the in-person festival.  

• Rehearsals and Performances: Students from participating schools will engage in online workshops with artists and choreographers, culminating in public performances in the Betty Oliphant Theatre in May 2027.  

• Creative Lab: Emerging choreographers will be invited to apply to create new choreography, which will also be presented at the festival in May 2027.