CBYE Media Releases

September 7, 2006
The Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble announces Evelyn Hart as their Artistic Advisor for Nutcracker 2006

Award-winning ballerina Evelyn Hart is an internationally renowned dancer and one of Canada’s most treasured artists.

Evelyn began her dance training at the Dorothy Carter School of Dance in London when she was fourteen.  She briefly attended the National Ballet School before coming to Winnipeg to study at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Professional Division in 1973.  She joined the corps de ballet in 1976, was promoted to soloist in 1978 and principal dancer in 1979.

In 1980. Evelyn won a bronze medal at the World Ballet Concours in Japan.  Later that year, Ms Hart came to international attention when she became the first Canadian to be awarded a gold medal at the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, as the rarely awarded Certificate of Exceptional Artistic Achievement.

Since her achievements at Varna, Ms Hart has received numerous other awards and honors, including Officer of the Order of Canada in 1983 and promotion in 1994 to Companion, the highest rank; Manitoba’s Woman of the Year in 1987; and honorary doctorates from the University of Manitoba and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in 1989.  She has two "Best Variety Show ACTRA Awards" for her television performances of Belong and ‘Juliet’ in Romeo and Juliet.

Evelyn has been hailed for her interpretation of many of the classis ballerina roles, especially ‘Giselle’ in Giselle, ‘Julie’ in Romeo and Juliet, ‘Odette/Odile’ in Swan Lake and ‘Tatiana’ in Onegin.  In addition to her classical repertoire, Ms Hart has received worldwide acclaim for her performances of contemporary ballets, most notably Jiri Kylian’s Nuages, Norbert Vesak’s Belon Pas de Deux, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Thai’s pas de deux and Derek Dean’s Impromptu.

With the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Evelyn has toured throughout North America, Europe and Asia.  A popular guest artist, she has also appeared with numerous leading ballet companies on stages throughout the world.  In October 1999, Vancouver’s Friends for Life awarded her with the honor of Friend for her lifetime contribution to the organization, and in 2000 she was given the Chalmers Award for her contribution to dance in Canada.  Ms Hart was also inducted into Canada’s prestigious Walk of Fame on June 23, 2000.