I KNOW AND FEEL THAT FATE IS HARSH BUT I AM SO LOATH TO ACCEPT THIS
radical ballet
Born in St. Catherines, Ontario, Maggie Forgeron moved to Toronto at age nine to
join the National Ballet School. While completing her academic studies, Ms.
Forgeron was instructed in classical ballet as well as an array of dance
techniques that include modern, character, contact improvisation and Chinese
dance. She also performed a number of roles including Marie in James Kudelka’s
The Nutcracker and a cygnet in Swan Lake.
After eight years of intensive training, she graduated in the summer of 2001
with a personal achievement award and began her professional career with the
National Ballet of Canada. After two years of apprenticeship, Ms. Forgeron left
the company and is currently dancing independently in Canada.
Her most recent performances include the lead role in Maelstrom, a modern piece
by Andrew Gidday that premiered at Banff this past summer. Ms. Forgeron also
took part in a project led by Veronica Tennant at the Art Gallery of Ontario in
celebration of Edgar Degas. In the future, she plans to travel and seek new and
creative dance opportunities.
Mariline Goodhue
Mariline Goodhue has studied dance at the Ecole Superieure de Danse du Québec,
the NBS, and with Raymond Franchette in Marseille, France.
She has danced with Ballet Kelowna, the Banff Center for the Arts, and Les
Grands Ballets Canadiens, where she has performed classical and neoclassical
repertoire. Performances include: Les Sylphides (Fokine), Pas de trois from
Paquita (Petipa), Breaks (Brian McDonald), The Nutcracker (Fernand Nault), Pas
de dix (Balanchine), and Maelstrom (Andrew Giday).
Presently, she is an independent dancer who will be pursuing her career in
Europe next year.
Leslie Schroeter
Leslie Schroeter was born in Ottawa, Ontario. Ms. Schroeter joined the National
Ballet of Canada as an apprentice. She became a member of the corps de ballet in
August 2002.
In 2001 Ms. Schroeter performed in James Kudelka’s The Nutcracker. In 2002 she
danced in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet. In 2003 Ms. Schroeter had roles in the
Emeralds and Diamonds sections of Balanchine’s Jewels.
Ms. Schroeter has also performed in Nureyev’s The Sleeping Beauty (2001),
Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée (2002), Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadčre,
Act II The Kingdom of the Shades (2002), Kudelka’s The Firebird (2002),
Kudelka’s Swan Lake (2003), Kenneth MacMillan’s Elite Syncopations (2003),
Matjash Mrozewski’s Monument (2003) and John Cranko’s Onegin.
Magdalena Vasko
Magdalena
Vasko was born in Radom, Poland. From 1991 – 1998 she trained at the National
Ballet School in Gdansk, Poland. Ms. Vasko came to Toronto’s National Ballet
School (NBS) in 1998 and graduated in 2000. She joined the NBOC that year as an
apprentice and was promoted to the corps de ballet in 2001.
Ms. Vasko has danced in Don Quixote, Madame Butterfly, The Nutcracker, and Swan
Lake. She has created roles in Kudelka’s The Contract (2002) and Matjash
Mrozewski’s Monument (2003). She has also performed in La Bayadčre, Elite
Syncopations, The Firebird, La Fille mal gardče, Jewels, The Four Seasons, and
Onegin.
In Poland, Ms. Vasko was twice awarded the National Ballet Competition in 1995
and 1997 and a Ministry of Art Scholarship in 1997 and 1998. She won the Prix de
Lausanne in the International Ballet Competition in Lausanne in 1997. In 2000,
Ms. Vasko won the Peter Dwyer Scholarship at the NBS.
Vanessa Harwood O.C.
Born in England and raised in Toronto, she attended the National Ballet
School graduating in 1964. She joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1965 and
became a principal in 1970 until leaving the company in 1987.
She was best known for her performances in Swan Lake, Coppelia, Romeo and
Juliet, Cinderella, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, La Fille Mal Gardée, Sleeping
Beauty, Giselle, Dying Swan, Solitaire, and Elite Syncopations. She has had many
illustrious dance partners, including Rudolf Nureyev, Alexander Godunov, Patrick
Bissell, Frank Augustyn, Stephen Jeffries, and Gary Norman.
Ms. Harwood also appeared as the ballerina in the film “Stepping Out” in 1991.
She coached bronze medal 1988 World and Olympic Ice Dance Champions, Tracy
Wilson and Robert McCall.
Her debut in acting was with the Kingston Grand Theatre as Mollie Ralston in
“The Mouse Trap” in 1989. She spent a season as Artistic Associate with Theatre
Plus Toronto. She has appeared on the TV shows “Road to Avonlea”, “Due South”,
and “Nero Wolfe”. Ms Harwood was Artistic Director of Balletto Classicco from
1989 to 1993. her last ballet performance was with Balletto Classicco in 1993.
She was also the President of the Actors’ Fund of Canada from 1996 to 1999.
She was honoured as an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1984. In 2002 she was
awarded the Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal.
In 1999 Ms Harwood was inspired to begin photography. Since then she has
photographed dance and has had her work published in the International Dance
Magazine, the Toronto Star, Now Magazine, programs for the Moving Pictures
Festival, and “Mary Queen of Scots” by Susan Watkins. She has traveled to
Turkey, Thailand, Cambodia, Japan, Costa Rica, U.S.A., and Canada to photograph
their unique beauty.
Ms Harwood has a line of greeting cards for every occasion using her
photographs.
Zoë Anderson-Jenkins has been dancing since she was three years old. At age eight she joined the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement, appearing each year in the Nutcracker. This past year Zoë also made her debut in YMI this past spring in "the Chess Game" and student choreographed work.
Zoë just graduated from grade 8 at Delta Alternative School and will continue her dancing with Pia as well as in high school at Etobicoke School of the Arts next fall. Zoë also enjoys drawing and playing soccer.