Media Release

2025/26 Season Opens With Procession by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber 

World Premiere November 1 – 8
Casting Announced

October 23, 2025… Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, shared the casting for the world premiere of Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber’s Procession which launches the 2025/26 season at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts November 1 – 8. 

“I can’t think of a more exhilarating way to open our 2025/26 season than with the world premiere of Procession by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber,” said Muir. “Bobbi and Or create worlds. Their work dissolves the border between classical ballet and raw human expression, drawing us into a space that is cinematic, sensual and emotionally charged. This marks the debut of this extraordinary duo at the National Ballet and their arrival marks a new chapter for our company.” 

Procession fuses bold contemporary movement with a Baroque-inspired score and explores the universal human ritual of procession. This landmark premiere features solo cellist Coleman Itzkoff, who also coordinated and arranged the Baroque-inspired score, and sopranos Rachael Wilson and Alex Hetherington. Costume design by Dana Osborne and lighting design by Bonnie Beecher.

Casting 

Alexander Bozinoff*, Jason Ferro, Hannah Galway, Christopher Gerty, Albjon Gjorllaku, Selene Guerrero-Trujillo, Spencer Hack, Monika Haczkiewicz, Josh Hall, Connor Hamilton, Isabella Kinch, Tirion Law, Keaton Leier, Arielle Miralles, Shaakir Muhammad, Siphesihle November, Chase O’Connell, Emma Ouellet, Matthieu Pagès, Noah Parets, Genevieve Penn Nabity, David Preciado, Ben Rudisin, Koto Sato, Jenna Savella, Calley Skalnik, Alexander Skinner, Donald Thom, Aidan Tully, Tene Ward, Oliver Yonick, Ana Zamora 

Sopranos
Rachel Wilson (November 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 at 7:30 pm/November 2 at 2:00 pm)
Alex Hetherington (November 8 at 2:00 pm)

Cellist
Coleman Itzkoff

*Principal Guest Artist 

About Procession

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2025/26 Season Sponsor: BMO  

Procession is supported by The Volunteer Committee of The National Ballet of Canada, The Anna McCowan-Johnson New Creations Fund and The Producers' Circle. Additional support is provided by The Azrieli Foundation. 
 
Musical Guest Artists Coleman Itzkoff, Rachel Wilson and Alex Hetherington appear thanks to the generous support of Jeanie Davis. 
 
The Producers’ Circle (2026): John & Claudine Bailey, Indra & Rags Davloor, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C., Judy Korthals & Peter Irwin, Mona & Harvey Levenstein, Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C., The Honourable Margaret Norrie McCain, C.C., Julie Medland, Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., The Jack Weinbaum Family Foundation and Alexander Younger & Sarah Richardson.
 
Christopher Gerty is sponsored through Dancers First by Ms. Nancy Viner & Dr. Raymond Stein.  
  
Tirion Law is sponsored through Dancers First by Anne-Marie Canning. 
   
Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C.  
 
Genevieve Penn Nabity is sponsored through Dancers First by George & Kathy Dembroski.  
    
Ben Rudisin is sponsored through Dancers First by Sylvie Allard & Brian O’Keefe.  
  
Hannah Galway is sponsored through Dancers First by Alison & Alan Schwartz.   
 
Calley Skalnik is sponsored through Dancers First by an Anonymous donor.  
   
 Isabella Kinch is sponsored through Dancers First by Daphne Taras. 
 
Keaton Leier is sponsored through Dancers First by Donald & Suzanne Kopas. 
  
Noah Parets is sponsored through Dancers First by John Covington Jr & Robert Lukey.  
  
Kota Sato is sponsored through Dancers First by Tony Arrell, C.M. & Anne Arrell.  

Albjon Gjorllaku is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White. 
 
Emma Ouellet is sponsored through Dancers First by Victor & Bernice Royce.    
   
Alexander Skinner is sponsored through Dancers First by Anne & David LeGresley.   

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts; the Ontario Arts Council; the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council; the Government of Canada – Department of Canadian Heritage with the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity; and the Government of Ontario with the Honourable Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Minister of Sport. 

Koto Sato, Isabella Kinch and Christopher Gerty. Photo by Ted Belton.

For more information and interview opportunities, please contact:

Touchwood PR
Andréa Grau, Founder and Owner
Keira Hunt, Senior Manager of Publicity and Promotions
Chelsea Cabello, Senior Publicist
NBOC@touchwoodpr.com

The National Ballet of Canada
Catherine Chang, Associate Director of Communications & Content Strategy
Kate Dresser, Communications Manager
Media@national.ballet.ca