Last December, [former First Soloist] Chris Body and I celebrated our three years together as a couple. I had it all planned; three little presents, each representing a year that we had spent together. I was rather proud of my ideas, but he had something much better planned – a marriage proposal! I remember thinking to myself at that moment that I didn’t know that one single person could make me so completely happy…

Our preparations began in earnest. We decided to get married in Paris. Planning a wedding from a distance is not an easy feat but with the invaluable help of our families and friends things began to take shape. Everything had a personal touch: from the invitations, which we made ourselves, to my wedding dress, which Ruth Bartel, Resident Cutter extraordinaire from the National Ballet’s wardrobe department, custom made for me. It is the most beautiful thing I have ever worn (and Chris liked it too)!

We were married in Paris on July 25th. In keeping with French tradition, the ceremony had two parts: first the civil service, which was held at the Mairie du 13ème arrondissement, then the religious ceremony, which took place in the beautiful Eglise Saint-Médard. Chris was so calm, and looked so elegant in his suit. I felt a profound sense of pride in becoming his wife.

A few tears of joy later, we celebrated the event with our guests in the oldest house in Paris. Originally built as a hostelry in 1407 by the celebrated alchemist Nicolas Flamel and his wife, it is now home to a fantastic restaurant that bears his name. On the programme: apéritifs, gourmet food, dancing and lots and lots of champagne (the Jourdain family is from the region). The reception was also a chance for our two families, having only previously met via webcam, to get to know each other in person, which proved to be a moving event. In all we had 43 guests, made up of family and close friends who came from across Canada and Europe; their presence there with us was the most beautiful gift we could have received.

For us, the day remains as a marvelous, profound moment of shared joy, filled with emotion and the memory of being surrounded by so much love and attention is utterly overwhelming! I am so happy to be able to call Chris my husband and now, as the song goes,

“Je vois la vie en rose…”

[Photo credits, from top to bottom: 1. 2. & 5 Photo by Jennifer Kropac. 3. Photo by Jeff Morris 4. Photo by Kevin D. Bowles]

Last July, I stood onstage holding my high school diploma ready for a new beginning, both excited and nervous to take on a new challenge. Just over a month after graduation, I started as an Apprentice with The National Ballet of Canada under the close guidance of YOU dance Artistic Director Lindsay Fischer. Lindsay is not only a great mentor but he helped me to bridge the gap between my former life as a student and my present employment as a dancer.

I quickly adjusted to company life, however, I still felt caught somewhere in between a student and a professional. This changed once I grew comfortable with my surroundings and I developed more confidence in my abilities as a dancer and performer, which can be credited to the experience I gained dancing with YOU dance and in company performances such as The Seagull and Romeo and Juliet.

I have entered this season as a member of the Corps de Ballet, once again excited, anxious and still a little nervous. Entering the Corps is certainly an adjustment but not as drastic as last year. I’m more familiar with the people I work with and with the structure of rehearsals.

This year, there are many more hours of company rehearsal and my body is adjusting quickly. One thing that I’ve come to realize is the importance of constant practice and revision and to always be alert because in a Corps de Ballet, unpredictable things can happen all the time.

This past week, we have just been rehearsing with Aszure Barton for her new work. Not only is it fascinating to learn but it’s also a great educational experience. She is teaching us several phrases and then piecing them together in interesting and intricate ways which are both physically and mentally strenuous. It’s challenging but, as is the case with most challenges, very rewarding. It’s a privilege to work with such a great artist as Ms. Barton and I’m excited to see which direction this piece takes next.

I’m very much looking forward to this season, to see how things take shape as a dancer of The National Ballet of Canada.

[Photo credits, from top to bottom: 1. Brendan Saye. Photo by Sian Richards. 2. Alexandra MacDonald, Brendan Saye and Nadine Drouin. 3. Brendan Saye and Elizabeth Marrable. 4. Aszure Barton. Photo by Juliette Cervantes.]

This summer I had the opportunity to participate in the Professional Dance program at The Banff Centre in Alberta. For five weeks, I was surrounded by incredible scenery and amazingly talented artists, dancers, musicians, opera singers, actors and writers from around the world who came to take part in the Banff Summer Arts Festival.

The Centre’s motto is “inspiring creativity” and it does just that. I would leave my room and hear musicians practicing behind their doors or outdoors in rehearsal huts between the trees. I was always immersed in artistry. One day during “Swissfest” we even had a yodeling performance in the dining hall.

The Professional Dance Program in Banff consisted of 26 dancers from companies and schools in Boston, Calgary, Toronto, Montréal, Vancouver and Winnipeg. It was inspiring to see talented dancers with varied professional experience work with such determination and focus towards the same goal.

The repertoire was challenging but achieved beautifully with the help of Lindsay Fischer, Mandy-Jayne Richardson and Mea Venema, the repetiteur for Hans Van Manen’s Grosse Fuge. George Balanchine’s Raymonda Variations, Rudy van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet balcony pas de deux and Heather Myers new work Dedications, were all part of the program. It was tough but rewarding.

In the fifth week, we performed four shows and the whole program was over too fast. I feel like I improved as a dancer in a short time but more importantly I developed great relationships with truly remarkable people. The Banff Centre is an outstanding place and I would go back in a heartbeat.

[Photo credits, from top to bottom: 1. Scenery in Banff. 2. Jenna Savella. Photo by Sian Richards 3. A family of goats seen during a picnic 4. and 5. A group of us canoeing on the Bow river 6. Ryan Booth and myself in Raymonda 7. the cast of Dedications. (Jenna is second from left, standing). Photos by Jenna Savella except where indicated.]