Media Release

Heather Ogden and Christopher Gerty with Artists of the Ballet in The Nutcracker.

The Nutcracker Casting Announced

Five Debuts 
Tickets Selling Fast 

November 14, 2024… Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, shared today the casting for The Nutcracker, Toronto’s most joyful holiday experience. The Nutcracker is onstage December 6 – 31 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.  

The opening performance on December 6 at 7:00 pm will feature Principal Dancers Christopher Gerty and Heather Ogden in the roles of Peter/The Nutcracker and the Sugar Plum Fairy. Principal Dancer Svetlana Lunkina will dance the role of the Snow Queen, Principal Dancer Ben Rudisinwill dance the role of Uncle Nikolai and Rehearsal Director Stephanie Hutchison will dance the role of Baba.  

Making their debuts this season are Principal Dancer Spencer Hack and Second Soloist Keaton Leier in the role of Peter/The Nutcracker. Second Soloists Emerson Dayton and Brenna Flaherty debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Corps de Ballet member Monika Haczkiewicz will make her debut as the Snow Queen.  

The National Ballet has brought the joy of dance to over 113,000 community members for free since 1986 with Share the Magic. Through this programme, the National Ballet has invited 1,600 community members, who may not otherwise have access to a live performance, to a special presentation of The Nutcracker on December 5.  

The Nutcracker is choreographed by James Kudelka, features Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s timeless score, set and costume designs by Santo Loquasto and lighting design by Jennifer Tipton.   

 

Congratulations to VIVA Singers Toronto on their 25th anniversary! For the past 25 years their beautiful voices have accompanied The National Ballet of Canada Orchestra during the snow scene, making it even more magical. About VIVA Toronto Singers

Casting  

Peter/The Nutcracker  
Christopher Gerty (December 6, 11, 17, 19 at 7:00 pm/December 8 at 1:00 pm)
Larkin Miller (December 7 at 2:00 pm/December 8, 15 at 5:30 pm/December 18 at 7:00 pm/December 24 at 11:00 am)
Siphesihle November (December 7, 10, 13 at 7:00 pm/December 15 at 1:00 pm/December 22 at 5:30 pm/December 28 at 2:00 pm)
Naoya Ebe (December 12, 14, 21 at 7:00 pm/December 29 at 1:00 pm)
Kota Sato (December 14 at 2:00 pm/December 24 at 3:00 pm/December 28 at 7:00 pm)
Spencer Hack* (December 20, 27 at 7:00 pm/December 22, 31 at 1:00 pm)  
Keaton Leier* (December 21, 27 at 2:00 pm/December 29 at 5:30 pm)

The Sugar Plum Fairy  
Heather Ogden (December 6, 11, 17, 19 at 7:00 pm/December 8 at 1:00 pm)
Genevieve Penn Nabity (December 7 at 2:00 pm/December 8, 15 at 5:30 pm/December 18 at 7:00 pm/December 24 at 11:00 am)
Tirion Law (December 7, 10, 13 at 7:00 pm/December 15 at 1:00 pm/December 22 at 5:30 pm/December 28 at 2:00 pm)
Calley Skalnik (December 12, 14, 21 at 7:00 pm/December 29 at 1:00 pm)
Brenna Flaherty* (December 14 at 2:00 pm/December 24 at 3:00 pm/December 28 at 7:00 pm)
Emerson Dayton* (December 20, 27 at 7:00 pm/December 22, 31 at 1:00 pm)
Koto Ishihara (December 21, 27 at 2:00 pm/December 29 at 5:30 pm)  

Snow Queen  

Genevieve Penn Nabity (December 6, 11, 14, 20, 28 at 7:00 pm/December 22 at 1:00 pm)
Alexandra MacDonald (December 7 at 2:00 pm/December 8, 15 at 5:30 pm/December 18, 27 at 7:00 pm)
Calley Skalnik (December 8 at 1:00 pm/December 7, 10, 19 at 7:00 pm/December 22 at 5:30 pm)
Svetlana Lunkina (December 13, 17 at 7:00 pm/December 24 at 3:00 pm)
Chelsy Meiss (December 12, 21 at 7:00 pm/December 15, 29 at 1:00 pm)
Isabella Kinch (December 14, 21, 28 at 2:00 pm/December 24 at 11:00 am
Monika Haczkiewicz* (December 27 at 2:00 pm/December 29, 31 at 1:00 pm) 

Baba  

Stephanie Hutchison+ (December 6, 11, 12, 18, 19, 28 at 7:00 pm/December 7, 14, 21, 27 at 2:00 pm/December 8, 22 at 1:00 pm/December 15, 29 at 5:30 pm/December 24 at 3:00 pm)
Chelsy Meiss (December 7, 10, 14, 17, 20, 27 at 7:00 pm/December 8 at 5:30 pm/December 24 at 11:00 am/December 31 at 1:00 pm)
Clare Peterson* (December 13, 21 at 7:00 pm/December 15 at 1:00 pm/December 22 at 5:30 pm/December 28 at 2:00 pm)

 

Uncle Nikolai   

Ben Rudisin (December 6, 11, 17 at 7:00 pm/December 8, 22 at 1:00 pm)
Spencer Hack 
(December 7 at 2:00 pm/December 8, 15 at 5:30 pm/December 18 at 7:00 pm/December 24 at 11:00 am)
Jason Ferro
 (December 7, 10, 13, 28 at 7:00 pm/December 15 at 1:00 pm/December 22 at 5:30 pm/December 27, 28 at 2:00 pm)
Donald Thom 
(December 12, 14, 20, 21, 27 at 7:00 pm/December 29, 31 at 1:00 pm)
Josh Hall 
(December 14, 21 at 2:00 pm/December 19 at 7:00 pm/December 24 at 3:00 pm/December 29 at 5:30 pm) 

* Debut   
+Guest Artist  

All casting is subject to change.  

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Season Sponsor: BMO Financial Group 
 
iA Financial Group presents The Nutcracker 

The Nutcracker is made possible by generous financial support from production underwriters Sandra Pitblado, C.M. & Jim Pitblado, C.M., Lawrence and Ann Heisey and an anonymous friend of the National Ballet. 

The National Ballet of Canada gratefully acknowledges its collaboration with Canada's National Ballet School in the production of The Nutcracker. 

Naoya Ebe is sponsored through Dancers First by Gretchen Ross.    

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

Svetlana Lunkina is sponsored through Dancers First by Anna McCowan-Johnson & Donald K. Johnson, O.C.    

Siphesihle November is sponsored through Dancers First by Jerry Lozinski, O.C. & Joan Lozinski, O.C.   

Heather Ogden is sponsored through Dancers First by Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky Gluskin.  

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.     

Alexandra MacDonald is sponsored through Dancers First by an Anonymous donor.     

Chelsy Meiss is sponsored through Dancers First by Anne-Marie Canning.   

Calley Skalnik is sponsored through Dancers First by an Anonymous donor.   

Keaton Leier is sponsored through Dancers First by Donald & Suzanne Kopas.  

Kota Sato is sponsored through Dancers First by Tony Arrell, C.M. & Anne Arrell.   

Isabella Kinch is sponsored through Dancers First by Daphne Taras.   
 
Share the Magic is generously underwritten by The Slaight Family Foundation with additional support from the Ada Slaight Fund.    

The National Ballet of Canada’s Education and Community Engagement programmes are generously supported by the Anna McCowan-Johnson Dance Accessibility Fund at The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation 

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. 

 Heather Ogden and Christopher Gerty with Artists of the Ballet in The Nutcracker. Photo by Karolina Kuras.

For more information, please contact:

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

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