Biography
Born in Providence,
Rhode Island and trained at the Festival
Ballet of Rhode Island and Canada’s
National Ballet School,
Greta Hodgkinson joined The National Ballet of Canada in 1990 and has been a
Principal Dancer since 1996.
Ms. Hodgkinson has performed every leading role in the
classical repertoire to critical acclaim and her talents extend to the
contemporary repertoire as well. She has had numerous roles created for her by
world renowned choreographers and has worked closely with William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Glen
Tetley, John Neumeier, James Kudelka, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon,
Wayne McGregor and Crystal Pite.
As a guest artist, Ms. Hodgkinson has appeared with The Kirov
Ballet (International Ballet Festival Mariinsky), Teatro alla Scala, The
Australian Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Munich Ballet, Teatro Comunale di Firenze,
Opening Gala of the Royal Opera House, The State Kremlin Palace, Gala des Étoiles
and international ballet galas in the USA,
Canada, Russia and Europe.
Ms. Hodgkinson was invited to tour Japan
dancing Swan Lake
with K-Ballet, partnered by Tetsuya Kumakawa and she also performed at The
World Ballet Festival in Tokyo,
Japan with
frequent partner Roberto Bolle. Her partners have also
included Carlos Acosta, Marcelo Gomes, Massimo Murru, Laurent Hilaire, Federico
Bonelli, Robert Tewsley, Jason Reilly, Evan McKie and Steven McRae.
In 2000, Ms. Hodgkinson was nominated for
the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse for her role as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.
In 2000 and 2001, Dance Europe voted her Best Performance by a Female Dancer
for her interpretation of Odette/Odile in Swan Lake
and for Summer in The Four Seasons.
Her film credits include the title role in Roxana, based on the novel by Daniel
Defoe, the title role in The Firebird,
Summer in The Four Seasons, A Dancer’s Story – 50 Years of The National
Ballet of Canada (dancing The
Sleeping Beauty pas de deux) and a featured role in The Rings of Saturn, directed by Moze Mossanen. In 2009, she appeared
as Margot Fonteyn in the Bravo! TV docudrama, Nureyev and in 2010, made a guest appearance on the premiere of the
Canadian comedy television series Baxter.
http://www.gretahodgkinson.com
Quotes
Other Dances
Other
Dances (1976) is Kain’s gift to Greta Hodgkinson to
celebrate the principal dancer’s 20 years with the company… What can be said about the sublime Hodgkinson
that hasn’t already been said? The ballerina has the innate ability to adapt
herself to any style. A chameleon of dance, she masks her formidable technique within
choreographic intention.”
The Globe and Mail, 2011
“Greta Hodgkinson a wonder in Other
Dances… With a veritable mountain of work behind her, Greta Hodgkinson is
today standing, in every sense, at the very apex of her career.
So it is fitting that the National Ballet of Canada affords the principal
dancer the chance to not only dance in the sunshine but to savour the view as
well as she marks 20 years with the company… it is all
about Hodgkinson, and she makes the most of it as she savours every graceful
step, every nuanced gesture, every second in this timeless dance as a fitting
reward for 20 years of hard and memorable work. With seemingly effortless
style, she serves up a mix of skill, experience, knowledge and artistry that is
as intoxicating as it is sweet, leaving one wishing she could dance for 20
years more and almost convinced that she can.”
Toronto Sun, 2011
Feature Article
“Principal dancer Greta Hodgkinson is among the best I’ve ever seen – certainly the equal of Kain and Tennant in their primes. She can do modern, she can do traditional; onstage, her expressive features transmit her character’s emotions.”
Toronto Life, 2006
Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson answers the National Ballet version of the Proust questionnaire:
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Snuggling with my son, reading a book
What is your biggest fear?
Losing someone I love
Which living person do you most admire?
My husband
What is your greatest extravagance?
It is yet to come
If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
Have more patience
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Juggling a career and a family
If you died and came back as something else, what would it be?
A musical instrument
What is your most treasured possession?
My family
Which words or phrase do you most overuse?
"I'm just saying..."
What talent do you wish you had?
The ability to play the piano or cello
What trait do you most admire in others?
Intelligence and a sense of humour
What trait to you most deplore in others?
Ignorance
What is your favourite journey?
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