On the road again! BV is excited to start its tour of The Nutcracker in Ft. Saskatchewan, Alberta ✈️🎄🩰

Enjoy Ballet Victoria’s updated The Gift of the Nutcracker LIVE at the ROYAL THEATRE with the VICTORIA SYMPHONY! Shows are December 28 - 30. Get your tickets at balletvictoria.ca

We can’t wait for our return to the Royal Theatre & McPherson Playhouse this December! Come enjoy a magical performance with Ballet Victoria and the Victoria Symphony from December 28th to 30th. Tickets available at balletvictoria.ca

Ballet Victoria is thrilled to bring back its community program for Seniors, Tea for Tutu! Guests will be entertained with a free 45-minute excerpt from our upcoming production of The Gift of the Nutcracker. Reserve your seats now!

Ballet Victoria has recorded Romeo & Juliet to share with everyone! Email bvmarketing@balletvictoria.ca to get the link for free.

Join us this Remembrance Day as we honour our heroes. We are thankful for the freedoms we are so blessed to have because of their service.

Come see the Gift of the Nutcracker with the Victoria Symphony live this December! Get your tickets now at balletvictoria.ca

Ballet Victoria’s The Gift of The Nutcracker is a new 21st century family tradition with everything you expect from a ballet production.
Get your tickets now!

Thank you everyone who came to see our live performances. Stay tuned for the virtual performance coming soon for those of you who missed it ❤️

#happyworldballetday from BV ❤️

Missed your chance to see Romeo & Juliet? Don’t worry, we’ve added more tickets! Visit balletvictoria.ca to reserve your seat now.

It’s almost showtime at Ballet Victoria! Romeo & Juliet performances begin tonight 🩰🎭

Thank you to all of our patrons, donors, and sponsors! The dancers can’t wait to perform for a live audience starting this week, and your support has made this possible! Happy Thanksgiving 🍂🌾💐 🦃

Thank you @mondaymag for the beautiful cover and article in your October issue! Get your tickets now at balletvictoria.ca before they all sell out.

Ballet Victoria is committed to inclusion, diversity, and equality. On September 30th the company dancers will be able to attend local events so that they can acknowledge and honour those who attended residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Below are some ways that you can ...broaden your knowledge of Indigenous history and culture:

Participate in Truth & Reconciliation events in Victoria:
https://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/national-day-for-truth-and-reconciliation-events-in-greater-victoria-1.24360391

See and learn about the territory upon which you live and work:
https://native-land.ca

Read reports provided by the National Centre for Truth & Reconciliation:
https://nctr.ca/records/reports/

Read a novel written by an Indigenous author:
https://www.cbc.ca/books/48-books-by-indigenous-writers-to-read-to-understand-residential-schools-1.6056204

Join us and support your local arts!

Risa Kobayashi is a Principal Dancer with Ballet Victoria.

“One of my favourite pastimes is making earrings. Everything else just melts away and the hours fly by. It's almost like a relaxing meditation.”

“My mom put me in ballet when I was 3 because I was a hyper kid ...and I danced a lot at home. When I was 14, I went to the US to attend a summer intensive. It was an amazing experience, and I realized then that I wanted to dance professionally.”

“For a pre-performance snack, I like to have a banana to keep my energy, focus, and brain power going.”

“Romeo and Juliet was the first ballet I saw as a child. I literally cried for 2 hours after the performance ended. The music of Romeo and Juliet is so inspiring and it's something that reaches your heart and soul, deeply. I look forward to performing this beautiful and dramatic ballet.”

Iris Seo is dancing in her first season with Ballet Victoria.

“I was born in Daegu, South Korea where I started dancing ballet at the age of 10. The moment I heard classical music to dance to, I instantly fell in love with it.

“The beautiful nature in Victoria inspires me in... so many ways as a ballerina.”

“Three words I would use to describe myself are… Determined, patient, and motivated.”

“I am very much looking forward to the most beautiful and well-known "balcony scene" in our upcoming performances of Romeo and Juliet.”

Izzy Passey is dancing in her first season with Ballet Victoria.

“I definitely have my mum to thank for my passion for ballet. She also trained to be a dancer so she would take me to see shows all the time. However, I do remember in my first dance class I told the teacher I was too old ...to be in it ... I was four!”

“My dream role is Phyrgia in the ballet Spartacus because I love the music by Khachaturian and the adagio with Spartacus always makes me cry.”

“My hometown is Oxford, which is a pretty town in England with lots of historical buildings and culture.”

“If I could have a super power I would like to be able to time travel and just travel in general. It’s my favourite thing to do!”

“I’m very excited (and grateful) to perform Romeo and Juliet with Ballet Victoria because the themes of the ballet are relatable to anyone watching and the choreography is fun to dance.”

#MeetTheDancers
Peter Starr is dancing in his first season with Ballet Victoria.

"My hometown is Nanaimo! I love living next to the forest and the sea, but not too far out of the way. I‘ve been living in Israel for many years, so it is very nice to be back on the island and I ...can visit."

"I have a dog named Diana who comes from Israel. She is a Canaan Dog and Saluki cross with very long and dancer-like legs. She loves people and likes barking a little too much, but she’s the sweetest girl who’s always up for a belly rub."

"My favourite pastimes outside of dance include singing and playing the flute. I find the flute calms me after a long day of rehearsal because of the calming tones and focus on breath control. It’s very meditative."

"My favourite place I’ve ever travelled to is Petra in Jordan. I love the ancient carved stone ruins and the size, colour, and scope of the landscape, not to mention it’s my namesake!"

"For Romeo & Juliet, I’m really looking forward to playing a villain, and such a well known one at that! I never get to be the bad guy! It’s really fascinating trying to find all of Tybalt’s relatable layers, in spite of his villainous-ness."

Kaylie Conner is dancing in her third season with Ballet Victoria.

“One thing I really enjoy doing is heading down to the water to watch the sunset. Something about it feels so calming and I love being able to sit and reflect.”

“One of my all time favourite snacks is dark ...chocolate almonds! I love all types of desserts, so any type of treat brings me a little extra joy at the end of my day!”

“Red is my favourite colour, cheetah print is my favourite pattern, and 7 is my lucky number!”

“I am very excited for the upcoming performances of Romeo and Juliet because being able to do live shows again is so incredibly special to all of us and nothing compares to the feeling. The ballet is full of beauty, drama, and emotion and I can’t wait to share the experience!”

#meetthedancers
Peter-Nicholas Taylor is dancing in his fourth season with Ballet Victoria.

“I was born in Colborne, ON where they have more pie than people. It’s a small town of 2,000, but it has sold over 2,000,000 apple pies!”

“I adopted my first pet when I lived ...in Winnipeg. He’s the most handsome little Russian Blue cat named Vince. I had to give him to my parents when I worked in China and I wish I could live with him again.”

“My favourite TV series by far is Ugly Betty. I think it is a must watch for everyone. It is so entertaining and it taught me so much when I first started watching it. It has incredible rewatch value as well. I probably watch the whole series once every year.”

“I started dancing at the age of 3. My sister did it and I wanted to do it as well. My parents were adamant that if I did, I had to do it for the whole year, so I stuck it out for the year and I haven’t stopped since.”

“If I could choose a superpower, it would definitely be shapeshifting. I think it’s the obvious choice.”

“My favourite part of Romeo and Juliet is how powerful it can be. There have been so many different adaptations to the story but each one plays on different aspects of the characters, or story. Obviously they all end the same, but seeing how many different ways the story can play out is absolutely fascinating. No Romeo is like another, and same with Juliet.”

#MeetTheDancers
Dana Brandt is dancing in her fifth season with Ballet Victoria.

“Living in Victoria is great; I love living on an island, being so close to the ocean and all the beaches.”

“My mom put me in ballet when I was 3 because I would walk around the house on ...demi pointe (my tippy toes). I remember at a very young age seeing a picture hanging in the studio of a girl in pointe shoes and thinking, ‘I want to be that, I’m gonna dance on my toes,’ and here I am!”

“For go to pre-show snacks, Clif bars are my main staple! Protein shakes are pretty important and I also enjoy bananas and dried apricots for a quick pick me up during performances.”

“The music of Romeo and Juliet is just so beautiful. You can really lose yourself in the emotions of the music. It is a true treat being able to dance to such a wonderful score.”

#meetthedancers
Isabelle Jutras is dancing in her third season with Ballet Victoria.

“My dream role is Giselle; I love the romantic classical ballets and the beautiful music.”

“My favourite dance steps are definitely jumps. The bigger, the better!”

“Outside... of dance, I love travelling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.”

“I love Prokofiev’s score for Romeo and Juliet. The music perfectly captures the personalities of the characters throughout the ballet. It was also one of the first ballets I saw performed as a young dancer so I am very excited to perform it this season with Ballet Victoria.”