Media Release

Christopher Gerty Winner of 2024 Dancers First Award

September 9, 2024… Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, announced today that Principal Dancer Christopher Gerty is the recipient of the 2024 Dancers First Award for his debut in the title role of John Cranko’s Onegin and as Espada in Carlos Acosta’s Don Quixote. The award was presented at a dinner and presentation tonight in Toronto.

“Christopher has had an exceptional year with The National Ballet of Canada and it was impossible to separate his poetic debut of Eugene Onegin with that of his grandiose portrayal of Espada in Don Quixote, so I am thrilled that we can honour him with the 2024 Dancers First Award for both of these significant roles,” said Muir.

The Dancers First Award recognizes outstanding performances in the previous season and is juried by a committee of members of the National Ballet’s Artistic Staff. At the ceremony, Gerty was presented with a cash award of $5,000.

Gerty was born in Watford, England and trained at Newcastle Dance Academy in Australia, New Zealand School of Dance and San Francisco Ballet School in California. He joined The National Ballet of Canada as an RBC Apprentice in 2014 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2023. Versatile and charismatic, he has performed Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, the title role in Romeo and Juliet, Lewis Carroll/The White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, Prince Charming in Cinderella, Diamond Man in The Sleeping Beauty, A Man in The Four Seasons, Rodolphe Boulanger in the world premiere of Helen Pickett’s Emma Bovary and Leo in William Yong’s world premiere of UtopiVerse.

Gerty will next appear onstage in Toronto during the National Ballet's Fall Season which opens with a mixed programme featuring the Canadian premieres of Sol León and Paul Lightfoot’s Silent Screen and Sir Frederick Ashton’s Rhapsody as well as Guillaume Côté’s Body of Work, November 9 – 16, 2024, followed by Sir Peter Wright’s Giselle, November 20 – 24, 2024.

About Body of Work, Silent Screen and Rhapsody 

About Giselle

– 30 –

Season Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

Christopher Gerty is sponsored through Dancers First by Ms. Nancy Viner & Dr. Raymond Stein. 

Lead philanthropic support for Rhapsody is provided by the Isobel Allen New Creations Fund.

Silent Screen is generously supported by The Producers’ Circle.

The Producers’ Circle (2025): John & Claudine Bailey, Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney, Gail Drummond & Bob Dorrance, Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin, The William & Nona Heaslip Foundation, 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.

Giselle was produced as a memorial to the late William P. Walker and was made possible through the courtesy of many generous friends of the National Ballet. 

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 Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage; and the Government of Ontario with the Honourable Stan Cho, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and Minister of Sport.

Christopher Gerty. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

For more information, please contact: