Artistic Director, Co-CEO
Mavis Staines, C.M., DHumL
Mavis Staines was born in Quebec's Eastern Townships and received her ballet training at Canada's National Ballet School.
Upon graduation from NBS in 1972 Staines became a First Soloist with The National Ballet of Canada and then danced with The Dutch National Ballet until an injury cut short her performance career. She subsequently returned to Canada and enrolled in NBS' Teacher Training Program, joining NBS' Artistic Faculty in 1982. She was appointed Artistic Director in 1989.
Staines is now devoted to evolving ballet education by building on the best of traditional schooling while ensuring future professional dancers develop the self-awareness and creativity essential to leading dynamic and innovative careers and lives. She also is devoted to NBS' commitment to bring dance to all members of the community, from aspiring future professionals to those involved in the School's myriad community programs and beyond.
Thanks to these values and the tireless efforts of Staines in partnership with her colleagues, over the past two decades Canada's National Ballet School has strengthened its role as a world leader in the training of professional dancers and teachers. Dedicated to advancing the art of ballet, NBS is now renowned for educating dance professionals in a student-centred environment by weaving innovation and evolving practice with the finest teaching traditions. NBS graduates can be found as dancers, choreographers, artistic directors, teachers, and administrators in over 65 dance companies world wide, and in even more schools around the globe. NBS celebrated its 50th anniversary from September 2009 to August 2010; special events throughout the year spotlighted NBS' international role as a leader in education.
A highlight of the 50th anniversary celebrations included the Assemblée Internationale 2009 (AI09), a gathering of 13 of NBS' international partner schools. At the AI each school presented a work from their existing repertoire, and each school supplied a new work choreographed by a student. The student choreographies were performed by a blended cast of students from each of the schools in attendance. This networking and dance community connectivity were a continuation of themes discovered in the Not Just Any Body Global Conference, organized by Staines and colleagues on the occasion of NBS' 40th anniversary.
In addition to her accomplishments at NBS, Staines served as juror for the Prix de Lausanne, widely regarded as the world's premiere ballet competition, from 1993 to 1995, and headed the jury as President in 1998 and 1999. In February 2001, Staines accepted the volunteer position of Artistic President Designate for the Prix de Lausanne and in February 2002, assumed the full responsibilities of Artistic President which she held until February 2008.
In 1998 Staines was a workshop presenter at the IOTPD Conference in The Hague, Holland. In 1999 NBS along with partners in The Hague hosted the first satellite linked dance symposium, with Staines an impassioned advocate for the project. She has since presented regularly at International conferences, most recently in October 2009 in Helsinki.
Over the years Staines also has served in various capacities with a number of dance-related organizations, including: DANCE/USA, Philadelphia, 1994; Dance Advisory Committee, The Canada Council for the Arts; The Dance Community of Educators, Toronto; and Kala Nidhi Fine Arts of Canada, Toronto. In 1998 Staines won the Toronto Arts Award for the Performing Arts. In November 2006, she was named by the Women's Executive Network as one of Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100, and in 2008 she was presented an Honourary Doctorate in Humanities from Mount Saint Vincent University. In December 2010, Mavis became a Member of the Order of Canada, in recognition of her commitment to the education and well-being of individuals in the field of dance.
Executive Director, Co-CEO
Grant Troop
Grant Troop joins Canada's National Ballet School holding both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Economic Geology. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Toronto.
Troop began his career as a mineral exploration geologist, working across Canada with a variety of mining companies. He later joined the Ontario Geological Survey, producing studies and publications on the characteristics and origin of Ontario gold deposits. After obtaining a business degree, Troop's career led to new opportunities in the field of science. Joining the Ontario Science Centre – an agency of the Government of Ontario – in 1992, Troop began a 19 year career in the cultural and museum sector. During this time, he enjoyed progressively responsible positions in business to business sales, operations, administration and executive management.
Troop's success in his initial role of selling exhibitions and exhibits to other science centre clients around the world, led to generating $4.6 million in gross exhibition sales during his first 4 years at the Centre. In 1997, he was promoted to Associate Director of International Sales, including responsibility for all exhibition sale, rental and consulting activities by the Centre. Development of business cases and long range business plans and the implementation of strategies for sustaining and growing the Centre's external revenue generating efforts were among his responsibilities. In 1999, Troop was appointed the acting Director of Business Development for the Centre, responsible for a significant portion of the Centre's earned revenue streams beyond exhibit sales to activities including corporate sponsorship, capital campaign fulfillment and membership. In this capacity, he was appointed to the senior management team of the Centre.
In 2001, Troop was promoted to Director of Business Planning and Operations at the Ontario Science Centre becoming the management liaison for the Finance and Operations Committee of the Board of Trustees, and business liaison to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.. He had a central role in corporate strategy development, annual business planning and financial planning and stewardship for the Centre's $47 million Agents of Change capital campaign while continuing to lead the externally focused International Sales business. He was subsequently appointed to the new role of Chief Operating Officer and Vice President Corporate Services and Operations in 2008. In this role, he provided overall executive direction of all business operations, finance, information technology and human resources, including overall direction of the Centre's $42million annual operating budget. He led the development of strategic alliances and partnerships, particularly in the development of new business models for the hosting of major international exhibitions including BodyWorlds and Harry Potter – The Exhibition.
Troop has continued his association with the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto, as an alumni advisor to several graduate level courses and competitions over the years. In addition, he has taken a leadership role within museum industry associations – specifically the Association of Science - Technology Centers (ASTC) – serving for four years on the jury panel for the Roy L. Shafer Leading Edge Awards, annually recognizing individual and organizational excellence within the science museum field. Beyond North America, Troop provided advisory consultation to the Government of Iceland on the development of a proposed new science centre, and he has spoken at international museum conferences in Hungary and Germany.
During his years at the Ontario Science Centre and broader museum field, Troop has become a passionate advocate for the potential of cultural activities in advancing the understanding of and engagement with science-based knowledge.
Arriving at critical point in NBS's evolution Troop is well-placed to utilize his creative and managerial skills in working successfully with the Artistic Director, Co-CEO and the Board to refine strategy and ensure an accountable operating model as the School moves toward its 60th anniversary in 2020.