The National Ballet of Canada: Jewels

Visit the ballet performance calendar to view dates of all showings of this program.

JEWELS
Choreographer: George Balanchine

◆ The National Ballet of Canada
◆ Balanchine’s Jewels: A Brilliant Ballet With No Title

The National Ballet of Canada has announced that for their upcoming run of Jewels, New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns will be making guest appearances in each section of Balanchine’s ballet over three consecutive evenings.

Toronto audiences will have the opportunity to see Mearns dance Emeralds on June 19 at 7:30 pm, her debut in Rubies on June 20 at 7:30 pm and in Diamonds on June 21 at 7:30 pm.

“I am thrilled to welcome Sara back to the National Ballet as she joins us to perform all three acts in Jewels over three consecutive nights. This unique insight into her artistry and experience with Balanchine’s choreography will be an event not to be missed,” said Hope Muir, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada.

This is not the first time Mearns has danced with NBC. In June of 2023, she made her Juliet debut opposite Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté (who will retire at the end of the company’s 2024-2025 season) in Alexei Ratmansky’s version of Romeo and Juliet.

“It is such an honour to come back and perform with the National Ballet. I was living in a dream last summer with Romeo and Juliet, so to be able to come back and perform something that is in my blood, feels even more dream-like,” said Mearns. “This company and dancers are so special, and I’m pinching myself that this is happening. I am so excited to be making another Balanchine debut with Rubies and getting to share this experience with Toronto audiences.”

CASTING FOR JEWELS

Emeralds
Svetlana Lunkina* and Spencer Hack* (June 15, 19 at 7:30 pm)
Heather Ogden and Ben Rudisin* (June 16 at 2:00 pm/ June 20 at 7:30 pm)
Tina Pereira* and Naoya Ebe* (June 21 at 7:30 pm/ June 22 at 2:00 pm)

Tina Pereira* and Donald Thom* (June 15 at 7:30 pm)
Jeannine Haller* and Peng-Fei Jiang* (June 16 at 2:00 pm/June 20 at 7:30 pm)
Sara Mearns† and Peng Fei Jiang (June 19 at 7:30 pm)
Chelsy Meiss* and Kota Sato* (June 21 at 7:30 pm)
Chelsy Meiss and Donald Thom (June 22 at 2:00 pm)

Rubies
Koto Ishihara* and Siphesihle November* (June 15, 19 at 7:30 pm)
Calley Skalnik* and Donald Thom* (June 16 at 2:00 pm/ June 20 at 7:30 pm)
Genevieve Penn Nabity* and Spencer Hack* (June 21 at 7:30 pm)
Brenna Flaherty* and Noah Parets* (June 22 at 2:00 pm)

Monika Haczkiewicz* (June 15, 19 at 7:30 pm)
Jordana Daumec* (June 16, 22 at 2:00 pm)
Sara Mearns*† (June 20 at 7:30 pm)
Heather Ogden* (June 21 at 7:30 pm)

Diamonds
Heather Ogden and Ben Rudisin* (June 15, 19 at 7:30 pm)
Jurgita Dronina and Harrison James* (June 16, 22 at 2:00 pm)
Genevieve Penn Nabity* and Christopher Gerty* (June 20 at 7:30 pm)
Sara Mearns† and Ben Rudisin (June 21 at 7:30 pm)

*Debut   †Principal Guest Artist

Featured photo of Sara Mearns in Diamonds in George Balanchine’s Jewels. Photo by Erin Baiano. Courtesy of New York City Ballet.