Spencer Hack and Siphesihle November Promoted to First Soloist

Spencer Hack and Siphesihle November Promoted to First Soloist

Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the promotions for the 2020/21 season: Spencer Hack and Siphesihle November to First Soloist and Hannah Galway to Second Soloist.

2020/21 Promotions

Spencer Hack will be promoted to First Soloist. This season, Mr. Hack performed in the world premiere of the Dora Mavor Moore Award-nominated Angels’ Atlas by Crystal Pite and created the role of Eurydice in the world premiere of Orpheus Alive by Robert Binet. A versatile dancer who approaches the classical and contemporary repertoire with equal accomplishment, Mr. Hack has excelled in such roles as Bottom in  The Dream,  Allan Gray in  A Streetcar Named Desire and Uncle Nikolai in  The Nutcracker. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Mr. Hack trained at Canada’s National Ballet School and joined The National Ballet of Canada as an RBC Apprentice in 2014.

Siphesihle November will be promoted to First Soloist. This season, Mr. November performed a featured role in Crystal Pite’s Angels’ Atlas and made his debut as Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet. With his “buoyant jump and clean lines” (Dance Magazine) and charisma, Mr. November has been turning heads since he joined the company’s Corps de Ballet in 2017. Born in Zolani, South Africa, Mr. November was featured in a documentary, Beyond Moving, which follows his journey from Zolani to Canada’s National Ballet School in Toronto.

Hannah Galway will be promoted to Second Soloist. This season, Ms. Galway performed a featured role in Angels’ Atlas by Crystal Pite. Technically-gifted, especially with “the details of the quick allegro” (The Globe and Mail), Ms. Galway has wowed audiences in the company premieres of The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude and Petite Mort, both in Toronto as well as on tour at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Born in Comox, British Columbia, Ms. Galway trained at Canada’s National Ballet School and joined The National Ballet of Canada as an RBC Apprentice in 2017.

Awards

Ms. Kain announced that Alexander Skinner is the 2019/20 recipient of the David Tory Award. The award is named after the late David Tory, former Vice-Chairman of The National Ballet of Canada’s Board of Directors, who passed away in 2006. Mr. Skinner is recognized for his consummate professionalism, dedication to the company and exhibiting the many qualities that inspired the creation of the award. Mr. Skinner will receive $3,500.

Hannah Galway and Isaac Wright have been awarded the Patron Award of Merit by the Patrons’ Council Committee of The National Ballet of Canada. The award is given to one female and one male Corps de Ballet member at the end of each season for their progress. Ms. Galway and Mr. Wright will each receive $1,000 and an additional donation of $1,000 in total will be made in their names to the Dancer Fund of The National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation. Their names will be inscribed on an award generously donated by Myles Mindham that is on display at The Walter Carsen Centre.

Retirements

Greta HodgkinsonLorna GeddesHazaros SurmeyanTiffany Mosher and Brent Parolin will retire from the National Ballet at the end of this season.

As previously announced, Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson retires from the National Ballet stage after an international career that has spanned 30 years. Her final performance with the company was in March, dancing the role of Marguerite in Sir Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand, for which she earned a Dora Award nomination. In 2020/21, Ms. Hodgkinson will assume the position of Artist-in-Residence, teaching and coaching the National Ballet’s next generation of dancers.

Principal Character Artist Lorna Geddes retires after a remarkable 60-year career with the National Ballet. She joined the company as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 1959 under then Artistic Director and company founder Celia Franca and has worked under every National Ballet Artistic Director since.

Principal Character Artist Hazaros Surmeyan retires from the National Ballet after 54 years. Mr. Surmeyan danced with the Skopje Opera Ballet, Belgrade Opera Ballet, Mannheim Opera Ballet and Cologne Opera Ballet before he joined the company as a Principal Dancer in 1966, performing many of the lead male classical roles with the company. He became a Principal Character Artist in 1986.

After 20 years with the National Ballet, Second Soloist Tiffany Mosher retires from the stage. Ms. Mosher joined the company in 1999 as an RBC Apprentice and was promoted to Second Soloist in 2013. During her tenure with the company, she excelled in both the classical and contemporary repertoire with her charming stage presence and comedic flair in such roles as the Stepsister in Cinderella, Spanish Princess in  Swan Lake and Anita in  West Side Story Suite. Ms. Mosher will be moving back to her home province of Nova Scotia with her family and will be attending Dalhousie University in the fall with the intention to study architecture the following year.

Second Soloist Brent Parolin joined the National Ballet as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2014 after dancing with Stuttgart Ballet as a Demi Soloist. He was promoted to Second Soloist in 2015. With his elegant line and striking stage presence, Mr. Parolin performed featured roles in Being and NothingnessChromaPetite Mort and Emergence. This season, he danced in the world premiere of Angels’ Atlas. Upon retiring from performing, Mr. Parolin will be launching a new career as a Ballet Master and Coach with Ballet am Rhein in Düsseldorf, Germany in August under the new direction of Demis Volpi.
Departures
Principal Dancer Elena Lobsanova and First Soloist Hannah Fischer will be departing The National Ballet of Canada to join Miami City Ballet at the end of the 2019/20 season as a Principal and a Principal Soloist, respectively. Also departing the company are Corps de Ballet members Jimmy Coleman and Ethan Watts to join The Royal Danish Ballet and The Royal Swedish Ballet.