Greta Hodgkinson

Greta Hodgkinson O.Ont (born August 1973)[1] is an American-Canadian ballet dancer. She was a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada until she stepped down in 2020. She will continue to perform freelance and become the artist-in residence of the National Ballet.[1][2]

Greta Hodgkinson
BornAugust 1973 (age 47)
Providence, Rhode Island
CitizenshipUnited States
Canada[1]
OccupationBallet dancer
Years active1990-present
Spouse(s)Etienne Lavigne
Children2
Former groupsNational Ballet of Canada
DancesBallet

Early life and training

Hodgkinson was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Her maternal grandparents are Armenian. She took part in dancing, ice-skating and gymnastics as a child. She left her family and started training at Canada's National Ballet School in Toronto, skipping seventh grade.[1][3]

Career

Hodgkinson graduated into National Ballet of Canada in 1990, shortly before her 17th birthday.[1] In 1996, she was promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer. During her career, she has danced classical roles such as the title role in Giselle, Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, as well as contemporary work by choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Christopher Wheeldon and Wayne McGregor.[4]

Outside of the company, Hodgkinson has danced with multiple companies as a guest artist, including Mariinsky Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, The Royal Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. She has also appeared in many international galas. One of her frequent partner is Roberto Bolle.[4]

In 2009, Hodgkinson portrayed Margot Fonteyn in TV movie Nureyev. She also appeared in 2013 documentary Ballet's Greatest Hits, dancing excerpts from Giselle, with Matthew Golding as Albrecht and Stella Abrera as Myrtha.[5]

In 2017, Hodgkinson was appointed to the Order of Ontario.[4]

In March 2020, Hodgkinson danced her final performance with the National Ballet. She chose to dance Marguerite in Marguerite and Armand, as she wanted to dance a new role rather than reprising a past role. Guillaume Côté partnered her in that performance. She is set to work on several independent projects with her former colleagues, Skyler Campbell and Côté.[1][6] She will assumed the role of Artist-in-Residence with the National Ballet in the 2020-21 season.[7]

Personal life

Hodgkinson is married to Etienne Lavigne, a principal character artist with the National Ballet of Canada. They have two children.[8] She is a dual citizen of United States and Canada.[1] She enjoys hosting dinner parties and going to the movies, where she claims that she never walks out because she likes the entire cinema-going experience. Although she finds the task demanding, Hodgkinson attempts to answer all her fan mail. She says she is flattered when ballet fans take the time to write her.

Honours
  • Two Citations from the State of Rhode Island, in recognition of her extraordinary talents, accomplishments and outstanding contribution to arts and culture in the US
  • Order of Ontario, 2017

References
  1. "A perfectionist in pointe shoes: after 30 years and many, many plum roles, Greta Hodgkinson leaves the National Ballet of Canada". Toronto Star. 26 February 2020.
  2. "A perfectionist in pointe shoes: after 30 years and many, many plum roles, Greta Hodgkinson leaves the National Ballet of Canada". thestar.com. 2020-02-26. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  3. "What It's Really Like To Be A Professional Ballerina". Best Health.
  4. "Greta Hodgkinson, O.Ont". National Ballet of Canada. Archived from the original on 26 April 2020.
  5. "Ballet's Greatest Hits - YAGP Gala". Youth American Grand Prix. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  6. "As National Ballet of Canada Star Greta Hodgkinson Retires, She Reflects on Her 30-Year Career". Pointe Magazine. 5 March 2020.
  7. "Spencer Hack and Siphesihle November Promoted to First Soloist". National Ballet of Canada. 25 June 2020.
  8. "Greta Hodgkinson on Her 30-Year Career With The National Ballet of Canada". Fashion Magazine. 28 November 2019.
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