Greta Hodgkinson, OOnt

Born in Providence, Rhode Island and trained at Canada’s National Ballet School, Greta Hodgkinson joined The National Ballet of Canada and danced as a Principal Dancer for over 24 years. An artist acclaimed for her dazzling technical virtuosity, dramatic intensity and articulate characterization, she is the complete ballerina, par excellence. Ms. Hodgkinson has performed every leading role in the classical repertoire and her talents extend to the contemporary repertoire as well. She has had numerous roles created for her by world-renowned choreographers and has worked closely with such icons as William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Glen Tetley, John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, James Kudelka and Crystal Pite.

As an international guest artist, Ms. Hodgkinson has appeared with The Mariinsky Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, The Australian Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Munich Ballet and Teatro Comunale di Firenze. She has also performed at the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo, the State Kremlin Palace, Moscow, the Gala des Etoiles, Stars of the 21st Century and International Ballet Galas in the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia and Europe. Ms. Hodgkinson has also worked extensively in film and has been featured in numerous dance and fashion magazines. Among her various honours, Ms. Hodgkinson was nominated for the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse for her role as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and has received two Citations from the State of Rhode Island in recognition of her extraordinary talents and accomplishments as a world-class prima ballerina and her outstanding contribution to arts and culture in the United States. In 2017, Ms. Hodgkinson was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour which recognizes individuals whose exceptional achievement in their fields have left a lasting legacy in the province, Canada and beyond. Ms. Hodgkinson is an inspirational teacher and coach, working with professional dancers and students in Canada and abroad. In 2020, after an extraordinary 30 years as a ballerina with The National Ballet of Canada, she was appointed Artist in Residence with the company. In 2021, Ms. Hodgkinson founded Dance Mentoring by Greta, a comprehensive mentorship program designed to provide the inspiration, expertise, opportunities, guidance and artistic direction for dancers at every stage of their career.