Quick Facts

Born: Saratov, Russia
Trained: National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art in Lithuania and Munich International Ballet Academy in Germany
Royal Swedish Ballet: 2005 – 2010
Het Nationale Ballet: 2010 – 2015
Resident Principal Guest Artist with The Hong Kong Ballet: 2015 – 2017
Joined as Principal Dancer: 2015
Lead Principal Dancer with English National Ballet: 2017 – 2020

Five Things to Know

1. 1Born in Russia, Jurgita was raised in Lithuania and completed her training in Munich, Germany. She considers and calls Toronto her home.
    
2. 2Jurgita is the winner of numerous international ballet competitions including the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki and Moscow.
    
3. 3Prior to joining The National Ballet of Canada, Jurgita was a Principal Dancer with The Royal Swedish Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet and English National Ballet. She was a Guest Principal Dancer with The Royal Danish Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Opera del’Roma, Arena di Verona and Teatro San Carlo in Naples, to name a few.
    
4. 4She is a highly sought-after international guest artist.
    
5. 5Founder of Bosaddo by Jurgita Dronina clothing line and foundation, Jurgita has completed Leadership Principles, Economics for Managers, Business Analytics Accounting Principles and Organizational Leadership with Harvard Business School.

Favourite Ballets

1. 1Swan Lake
    
2. 2Romeo and Juliet
    
3. 3Onegin
4.  
5. 4Manon
    
6. 5La Bayadère

Full Biography

Jurgita Dronina was born in Saratov, Russia and trained at the National M. K. Čiurlionis School of Art in Lithuania and Munich International Ballet Academy in Germany. Jurgita was a Principal Dancer with Royal Swedish Ballet and Het Nationale Ballet before joining The National Ballet of Canada as Principal Dancer in 2015. 

Jurgita has performed every leading role in the entire classical repertoire such as Nykia in La Bayadère, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the title role in Giselle, Odette/Odile in numerous versions of Swan Lake including Karen Kain’s, Kitri in Don Quixote, Medora in Le Corsaire, Sylvia in John Neumeier’s Sylvia and the title role in Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella. She created roles in contemporary works by choreographers such as Alexei Ratmansky, David Dawson, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jorma Elo, Hans Van Manen, Christian Spuck, Benjamin Millepied, Krzysztof Pastor, Will Tuckett, Nils Christe, Juanjo Arques and Guillaume Côté and has danced in works by John Neumeier, William Forsythe, Jerome Robbins, Liam Scarlet, Mauro Bigonzetti, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Rudi van Dantzig, Toer van Schayk and many others.  

Jurgita’s repertoire with the National Ballet includes principal roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, Giselle, The Winter’s Tale, Cinderella, Onegin, La Sylphide, Le Petit Prince, Pinocchio, A Streetcar Named Desire, Elite Syncopations, Genus, Serenade, Symphony in C, The Collective Agreement and Tarantella. 

As a Principal Guest Artist, Jurgita has performed with Norwegian National Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet, Teatro San Carlo, Opera dell Roma, Arena di Verona, Hong Kong Ballet, Shanghai Ballet and The Royal Danish Ballet and has also performed on the world’s largest stages in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Beijing, Shanghai, Rome and many others.  

In 2018, Jurgita was awarded the Order of Merit, Cross of the Knight, to Lithuania for outstanding services promoting the country and was nominated for Prix de Benois de la Danse for her roles in La Sylphide and Juliet in Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet. In 2014, Jurgita received the Alexandra Radius Prize and the Zwaan Award in 2011 for her role as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. Jurgita was voted Outstanding Dancer of the year by Dance Europe for her roles as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Kitri in Don Quioxte, Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Principal Female in Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Jurgita won the gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Grasse in 2003, silver at the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki in 2005, silver at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 2005 and silver at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson in 2006. 

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