Jenna Savella
Second Soloist
Jenna Savella, Second Soloist
Biography
Jenna Savella was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and trained at DanceWest in Surrey, British Columbia and Canada’s National Ballet School. She joined the company in 2004 and was promoted to Second Soloist in 2009.
Ms. Savella danced lead roles in the Canadian premiere of Dominique Dumais’ Skin Divers and the company premiere of Christopher Bruce’s Rooster, the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker and featured roles in The Sleeping Beauty, James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons and George Balanchine’s Symphony in C and The Four Temperaments.
Ms. Savella danced in the world premieres of Peter Quanz’s IN COLOUR, Crystal Pite’s Emergence and James Kudelka’s An Italian Straw Hat and in the North American premieres of John Neumeier’s The Seagull and Davide Bombana’s Carmen. She also danced in the company premieres of Twyla Tharp’s In The Upper Room, Jerome Robbins’ West Side Story Suite, Suzanne Farrell’s restaging of Balanchine’s Don Quixote, Michel Fokine’s PetrouchkaM and Nikolaj Hübbe’s restaging of La Sylphide.
While at Canada’s National Ballet School, Ms. Savella won the Christopher Ondaatje Award and the Peter Dwyer Award. She is also the recipient of a British Columbia Arts Council Scholarship and the Vancouver Foundation Scholarship and, in 2006 and 2007, Ms. Savella was awarded the National Ballet’s Patron Award of Merit.
Jenna Savella is sponsored through Dancers First by Elvio & Marlene DelZotto.
Questions & Answers
Posted on: September 2009
1. Congratulations on your promotion to Second Soloist in the 2009/10 season. Has the promotion affected how you train and rehearse?
The promotion itself hasn’t changed how I rehearse or train but I’ve gained more experience having had the opportunity to perform many of the ballets in previous seasons. I feel more comfortable in the roles so I can develop them further, take greater risks and focus on the details.
2. This summer you spent your vacation furthering your training at the Professional Dance Program at the Banff Centre. What was the most valuable aspect of that summer training for you?
I feel like I improved as a dancer in a short time, the training was tough but rewarding. More importantly I developed great relationships with truly remarkable people. The Banff Centre is an outstanding place and I would go back in a heartbeat.
3. This upcoming Fall Season, audiences will see you perform a solo role in a world premiere by acclaimed Canadian Choreographer Aszure Barton. What can you tell us about working with her?
Aszure Barton is a truly unique Canadian artist and creating this new work has been a very organic process. We have been building the piece in sections which are then tried out in a variety of sequences. The dancers have been very involved in the process and our unique strengths have been used to bring out different aspects of Aszure Barton’s ideas. This promises to be a very exciting new work.
4. You will perform an excerpt of the piece at a Toronto International Film Festival event in Yonge-Dundas Square on September 16. What do you most look forward to about that unique performance?
I’m looking forward to performing for everyone who attends this event, especially those who are new to dance. Hopefully someone who has never seen the company perform will like what they see.
5. Last season saw you in a number of featured roles, including your debut as the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker. Of the 2009/10 repertoire, which role do you most love to watch and aspire to dance?
I have always loved The Four Seasons and I have been lucky enough in my career to have performed the role of Autumn. I aspire to succeed in any challenge that comes my way.