Shaun Amyot
A native of Ottawa, Ontario, Shaun Amyot completed his early training at The School of Dance before entering the Post-Secondary Program at Canada's National Ballet School (NBS.) In his final year, he was awarded a Canada Council Grant to travel in Europe. This led to an exciting dance career with the Nederlands Dans Theater under the direction of Jiri Kylian and Ballett Frankfurt with William Forsythe. During this time he was a part of countless world premieres originating roles in ballets by not only Kylian and Forsythe but also Nacho Duato, Mats Ek, Hans Van Manen, Amanda Miller, Ed Wubbe and many others.
Shaun then switched gears to Musical Theatre where he was a member of three original Broadway casts, Ragtime, Annie Get Your Gun (1999 revival with Bernadette Peters) and Seussical, the Musical. Favourite musical theatre roles include Amos in Chicago on Broadway, Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd for Canstage, and Hans/Rudy/Two Ladies guy in the celebrated Rob Marshall/Sam Mendes version of Cabaret. He can also be seen in the Oscar winning movie musical Chicago!
The recent success of his work Improvisation AI09 for the NBS Assemblée Internationale, led to his first commission: a new piece for the San Francisco Ballet School's annual Student Showcase which premiered in May of 2010 entitled 5.26.10. His work mixes choreography with improvisation challenging the dancers to find their own voices.
The 2010-11 School year is Shaun's fifth at NBS where he teaches Contemporary Repertoire and Improvisation Technique.
Peggy Baker
Regarded as one of the most outstanding dancers of her generation, Peggy Baker began her career in 1974 as a founding member and, later, the artistic director of Toronto's Dancemakers. She was a featured dancer with the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company during the 1980's, and an inaugural member of Mark Morris and Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project.
Peggy made her debut as a solo artist in 1990, with her work distinguished from the outset by collaborations with extraordinary creators and performers. Her repertoire is composed of her own choreography as well as works by Sarah Chase, Molissa Fenley, Paul-Andre Fortier, James Kudelka, Tere O'Connor, Mark Morris and Doug Varone. Peggy has been presented at major dance venues throughout Canada, Europe, Asia, and New York City.
Appointed as the first ever artist in residence at NBS in 1992, Peggy is also the recipient of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario and an honorary doctorate from the University of Calgary. She has won two Dora Awards – Toronto's dance and theatre awards – for outstanding performance, as well as the 2002 Margo Binhardt Award, a 2002 Salute to the City award, and in 2007, she was presented with the inaugural Ontario Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Jennifer Bolt
For more than a decade, Jennifer Bolt has been a performer, educator, writer and researcher in Ontario. She works and performs in both ballet and modern/ contemporary dance, with a particular interest in the overlap of those two genres. Jennifer has been dancing with Blue Ceiling dance, led by Lucy Rupert, since 2002. Over the past 15 years Jennifer has guest-taught and conducted workshops for several dance schools throughout Ontario, including George Brown College, Ballet Jorgen, Randolph Academy for the Arts, the National Ballet of Canada and the Teacher Training Program at NBS. Jennifer is currently a faculty member at York University, where she teaches dance history, ballet and modern dance.
Jennifer is also pursuing a PhD at the Faculty of Education at York. She holds an MA in dance from York University, an honours BA in dance from the University of Waterloo and a Teacher Training diploma from NBS, as well as Associate levels from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (AISTD) in the Cecchetti method and in national folk dance. She received honours standing on her advanced Cecchetti examination in June 2005, which was made possible by a teaching grant from York University. This is Jennifer's sixth year teaching in the Adult Ballet Program at NBS.
Carina Bomers
A graduate of the Professional Ballet/Academic Program at NBS , Carina Bomers went on to dance with the National Ballet of Canada and the Ballet Ys. In the course of her performance career, she toured across Canada, Europe and the United States, working with other astounding dancers such as Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Veronica Tennant, Karen Kain, Eric Bruhn and Celia Franca.
She returned to NBS for the Teacher Training Program, and then taught dance at the George Brown College School of Dance where she was also artistic director for the Youth Ensemble. Carina has been on staff at NBS since 1983, teaching ballet and creative dance, and is presently the coordinator of Tutorials, helping dancers to refine strategies to prevent and overcome injuries. She is also involved in outreach classes and she has been a guest teacher at other professional ballet schools including the Norwegian Opera Ballet School and the Amsterdam Theatre School, as well as schools in Finland, Costa Rica, Spain, Sweden and Canada. Carina is a Fellow of and examiner for the AISTD.
Deborah Bowes
Deborah Bowes is a graduate of the Professional Ballet/Academic Program at Canada's National Ballet School. She holds a BA in English from the University of Victoria, and, during her studies, was awarded a Canada Council grant to study in Europe. Deborah trained as a teacher under Betty Oliphant, NBS's founding principal, and has taught boys and girls training at NBS for over 25 years. She currently manages both the junior school and auditions at NBS, and has most recently guest-taught at the Royal Danish Ballet School. Deborah is a Fellow of and examiner for the Cecchetti Branch of the ISTD.
Jillian Clarke
Jillian's enthusiastic and detailed approach to teaching has developed through her culmination of studies at the Teacher Training Program, here at The National Ballet School, and at the School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
Beginning her training in Muskoka, Jillian's passion for ballet took her through successful performances and examinations. After training at NBS, Jillian graduated with distinction, covering all credentials including Associate status in the Cecchetti Society and ISTD National Dance faculty, Registered Teacher Status in the Royal Academy of Dance and 6 advanced dance exams. She is continuing her studies and broadening her passion for the arts through contemporary dance, at the internationally recognized modern dance school, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre.
Jillian has been teaching for the Associates Program for the past two years and looks forward to working with the Adult Program on a regular basis.
Cheryl Corbett
Cheryl Corbett graduated from Canada's National Ballet School Teacher Training Program with Distinction and is a recent graduate from York University's Master of Arts (Dance) program. As well, she holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Dance from York University. During her training at the NBS she obtained her Associate teaching Certificate in the Cecchetti Method of Classical Ballet. She is also proficient in National Dance, R.A.D ballet and has studied virtually all forms of dance technique from modern to jazz, highland and tap.
Ms. Corbett has taught in Thunder Bay, Oakville and in Toronto including Claude Watson School for the Arts. Her experience as a teacher includes preparing children for examinations and choreography for performances. She incorporates her skills in Body Conditioning into her imaginative classes to supplement her students' artistic development. Ms. Corbett is now currently working in the Associates Program and the Teacher Training Program at Canada's National Ballet School.
Rosalie Deligioridis
Rosalie Deligioridis trained at NBS under Betty Oliphant. She joined the School in 1975, having danced with the Prologue to the Performing Arts as well as in various productions with the Canadian Opera Company and the CBC. A choreographer and coach, Rosalie is also a certified Cecchetti examiner and has guest-taught at the Royal Danish Ballet and L'École de Danse de Quebec.
Evelina Krasnova-Ganina
Evelina Krasnova-Granina began her career as a professional dancer in 1976, after graduating with honours from the Academy of Classical and Character Dance in Voronez, Russia. Her impeccable technique, grace and artistic expression have been recognized on the most prestigious stages around the world in such countries as Russia, Germany, Cuba, Spain, Korea, India and more. In 1993, she was awarded a certificate of recognition from the Asociacio de Artistas Latinoamericanos de Toronto for success in artistic endeavours.
Evelina attended Canada's National Ballet School as a special student in the Professional Development Program and gained her teaching qualifications with the ISTD. In 1996, she joined the full-time staff at NBS. Evelina is an inspired choreographer with a fresh, innovative vision of musical material. She has been praised for her creations of exuberant dance patterns and captivating character interactions.
Aimee Geldard
Distinguished by her energetic and creative approach, Aimee Geldard is credited for being highly musical with a knack for detail. A graduate of the National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program, Aimee graduated with distinction and received the Betty Oliphant Award honouring the most promising graduate in the field of teaching. While at NBS, she certified with the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), the Cecchetti Society of Ballet, as well as National Dance.
Also an accomplished dancer, Aimee was a member of the Toronto-based contemporary dance company, OMO Dance Company, where she had the pleasure to tour Macedonia with the National Theatre of Macedonia in a joint production. She has also worked with acclaimed choreographers Menaka Thakkar of Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Zingg of Opera Atelier, as well as various other Toronto choreographers. In combination with her professional experience, she has successfully achieved high levels in RAD (Advanced II), Cecchetti (Advanced I) and National Dance (Advanced II).
Aimee currently teaches in both the Adult and Associates Programs, and is involved with YouDance.
Alexander Gorbatsevich
Alexander Gorbatsevich received his ballet training at the Novosibirsk State School of Ballet and the Russian State Academy for the Performing Arts. A professional dancer with 27 years of experience, he has had an astounding performance career. Alexander is the recipient of such prestigious dance awards as first prize and a gold medal at the 11th International Ballet Competition at Varna, and the title of Distinguished Artist of Russia, which he received in 1983. He has performed with the Moscow Classical Ballet as a principal dancer, as well as internationally as a guest artist, partnering some of the great ballerinas of our time. A graduate of the Teacher Training Program for professional dancers at Canada's National Ballet School, Alexander joined the artistic staff at NBS in 2002.
Deborah Hess
Deborah Hess trained in New York at the American Ballet Theater School with Valentina Pereyaslavec, and subsequently with Kathleen Crofton. She went on to dance with the American Classical Ballet, Ballet de Wallonie in Belgium, Ballet Gulbenkian in Portugal and the New London Ballet in England, performing roles ranging from Odette in Swan Lake to soloist roles in works by such contemporary masters as Lar Lubovitch.
Upon her return to North America, she became the assistant to the director at the San Francisco Ballet School, and on the recommendation of Erik Bruhn, was invited by Betty Oliphant in 1981 to join the artistic faculty at Canada's National Ballet School, where she currently teaches ballet.
Deborah is also the coordinator of student exchanges between NBS and schools such as the National Ballet School of Cuba, the Australian Ballet School, and the Hamburg Ballet School. She has served as a juror for the International Ballet Student Competition in Havana, Cuba with Fernando Alonso, the Youth America Grand Prix, the Japan Grand Prix and the First International Student Competition in Beijing, China.
Deborah has been a guest teacher for the Boston Ballet Co., the Cincinnati Ballet Company, Jacob's Pillow, and the USA International Ballet Competition, and returns often to Japan. In 1999, she was a panelist for Not Just Any Body, an international satellite conference on dancers' health and well-being sponsored in part by NBS. She has performed the role of Madge in NBS's production of La Sylphide, staged and coached by Sorella Englund.
Johanna Hilchie
Johanna Hilchie is a graduate with distinction of the National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program. She holds teaching qualifications from the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing (National Branch). Her formal dance training began at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts in Halifax, and continued to include Arts Umbrella, Ballet Magnificat and the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Johanna is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts, and is the winner of the 1999 CDTA National Ballet Competition.
Patrick Kastoff
Patrick Kastoff trained at Canada's National Ballet School from 1991 to 2000. Upon graduation he joined North Carolina Dance Theater under the direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride. While part of NCDT, Patrick had the opportunity to perform in such pieces as Falls in Alvin Ailey's The River, Nacho Duato's Na Floresta and Alonzo King's Map. He also had the chance to work with Nicolo Fonte, Dwight Rhoden, Alonzo King and Uri Sands.
In 2009 Patrick moved back to Canada to enrol in Canada's National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program for Professional Dancers. In June of 2010 Patrick received the Carol Chadwick award for demonstrating significant potential as a teacher. While completing his studies in the Teacher Training Program Mr. Kastoff is pleased to have been given the opportunity to teach both in the Professional Program as well as choreographing and teaching in the Associates Program.
Martine Lamy
Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Martine Lamy joined Canada's National Ballet School, where she won the Peter Dwyer award, and represented Canada in the 1981 Moscow Ballet Competition. She won the third prize, as well as the best partnership award with Serge Lavoie.
In 1983, she joined The National Ballet of Canada and quickly went through the ranks to become a Principal Dancer in 1990. Known for her versatility, athleticism and acting acumen, Lamy has danced most of the major classical roles such as Kitri in Don Quixote, Swan Queen/Black Swan in Swan Lake, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, the title role in Giselle, Lise in La Fille mal gardée, Katherine in The Taming of the Shrew, Hanna in The Merry Widow, and Tatiana in Onegin.
Equally admired in the Contemporary canon, Lamy has created roles in William Forsythe's the second detail, Robert Desrosier's Blue Snake, James Kudelka's Pastorale, The Four Seasons and The Contract(The Pied Piper), a full-length ballet especially created for her. Some of her title roles include Glen Tetley's Sphinx, Daphnis and Chloe, Alice, La Ronde, Voluntaries and The Rite of Spring, as well as many Balanchine, Ashton, MacMillan, and Tudor works. Ms Lamy was also a guest artist with various ballet companies such as The Stuttgart Ballet, Danish Ballet, La La La Human Steps, and took part in Debbie Allan's choreography for the 66th Academy Awards.
Throughout her ballet career, Ms. Lamy has taught and adjudicated for many dance competitions, and since her retirement in 2005, went on to teach professionals at The National Ballet of Canada and Ballet B.C., as well as various schools such as Marin Ballet in California, Dance Teq in Toronto, Children's Dance Theater, McMaster University and The Sean Boutillier Academy.
After graduating from Canada's National Ballet School's Teacher's Training Program in 2008, Ms. Lamy was awarded the Betty Oliphant Award, and is currently working full time for Canada's National Ballet School of Canada.
Young Joo Lee
Young Joo Lee received her early dance training at the Sun Hwa Dance Academy in Seoul, Korea. She has an extensive dance education and holds a BA and M.P.E. in dance, both from Ewha Womans University. From 1995 to 1996, she studied the Vaganova teaching method at the Universal Ballet Academy also in Seoul, and in September 2004, joined the Teacher Training Program for professional dancers at Canada's National Ballet School.
As well as possessing an impressive dance teaching education, Young has performed professionally with the Ballet Blanc from 1989 to 1999. An artistic staff member at NBS since September 2006, she currently teaches in both the Professional Ballet Program as well as in the recreational Associates Program.
Elisabeth Leyds
Elisabeth Leyds-Holmes is a graduate of both our Professional Ballet Program and our Teacher Training Program at Canada's National Ballet School. She has taught dance throughout Ontario with a focus on preparing students for Cecchetti examinations, and has also spent several summers teaching at The School of Dance in Ottawa.
In 1978, Elisabeth was invited to join the staff at George Brown College by Lois Smith, former principal dancer with The National Ballet of Canada. She went on to become coordinator of the junior school and helped to create a syllabus for both the junior and adult division programs. Ms. Leyds assisted in the creation of the George Brown College Youth Ensemble, a group that performed at several venues in Toronto including the Art Gallery of Ontario. On Lois Smith's retirement, Elisabeth became principal of the school until 1992. After a brief retirement, Elisabeth returned to teaching. She joined our Adult Ballet Program staff at NBS in 2006 and she is also currently teaching dance at York University.
Kristen Mason
Kristen Mason graduated from Canada's National Ballet School's Teacher Training Program in 2006. Soon after graduation Kristen accepted a position in Ayr, Scotland where she taught ballet for three years. Teaching in Europe provided Kristen with invaluable teaching experience, which enhanced what she learned at NBS. While in Scotland, Kristen was fortunate enough to participate in the piloting process for the new RAD Pre-Primary and Primary in Dance syllabus. Kristen recently returned to Toronto to finish her University Degree and is thrilled to be teaching in Canada's National Ballet School's Associates Program.