Media Release

Tirion Law Debuts as Giselle and Siphesihle November and Peng-Fei Jiang Debut as Albrecht

Casting Announced

November 8, 2024… Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, shared today the casting for Giselle which features several debuts in lead roles. Giselle is onstage November 20 – 24 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.

The role of Giselle has been called “the ballerina’s Hamlet” and is one of the classical canon’s most complex and demanding roles. This season, Principal Dancer Tirion Law makes her debut in the title role. Principal Dancers Jurgita Dronina, Svetlana Lunkina and Heather Ogden return to this iconic role.

The role of Albrecht will be performed by Principal Dancers Harrison James and Naoya Ebe and making their debuts are Principal Dancer Siphesihle November and Second Soloist Peng-Fei Jiang. 

Making their debuts this season in the role of Hilarion are Principal Dancers Spencer Hack and Ben Rudisin and First Soloist Donald Thom.

Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis will be danced by Principal Dancers Genevieve Penn Nabity and Koto Ishihara, both debuting in the role, and First Soloist Chelsy Meiss. 

As previously announced, Meiss will retire after 16 outstanding years with the National Ballet and will be celebrated onstage by the company as she says farewell dancing the role of Myrtha on November 23 at 2:00 pm. 

A haunting world of love, deceit and forgiveness awaits with Giselle, one of classical ballet’s most breathtaking works. This quintessential Romantic ballet achieves heights of emotion and psychological drama and gives full expression to the redemptive power of love. Since its premiere with the company in 1970, the National Ballet has performed Sir Peter Wright’s celebrated staging, which distills every note of Adolphe Adam’s score into exquisite movement and emotion, with sets and costumes by Desmond Heeley with lighting by Gil Wechsler.

Casting 

Giselle 
Svetlana Lunkina (November 20, 22 at 7:30 pm)
Heather Ogden (November 21 at 2:00 pm/ November 23 at 7:30 pm) 
Tirion Law* (November 21 at 7:30 pm/ November 23 at 2:00 pm)
Jurgita Dronina (November 24 at 2:00 pm) 

Albrecht
Harrison James (November 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/ November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Peng-Fei Jiang* (November 21 at 2:00 pm/ November 23 at 7:30 pm) 
Siphesihle November* (November 21 at 7:30 pm)
Naoya Ebe (November 23 at 2:00 pm)

Hilarion 
Donald Thom* (November 20, 22 at 7:30 pm/ November 24 at 2:00 pm) 
Ben Rudisin* (November 21 at 2:00 pm/ November 23 at 7:30 pm) 
Spencer Hack* (November 21 at 7:30 pm/ November 23 at 2:00 pm)

Myrtha, Queen of the Wilis
Genevieve Penn Nabity* (November 20, 23 at 7:30 pm/ November 21 at 2:00 pm)
Koto Ishihara* (November 21, 22 at 7:30 pm/ November 24 at 2:00 pm)
Chelsy Meiss (November 23 at 2:00 pm)

* Debut

All casting is subject to change. 

About Giselle > 

– 30 –

Season Sponsor: BMO Financial Group

Desjardins presents Giselle

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. 

Naoya Ebe is sponsored through Dancers First by Gretchen Ross.   

Harrison James is sponsored through Dancers First by Lucy White.   
  
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.   

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

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.

For more information, please contact: