Sharing the Transformative Power of Dance

We are Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), where programming excellence, access and inclusion fuel our belief in sharing the transformative power of dance to change lives for the better.

This is what drives our commitment to making dance a part of all Canadians’ lives—from the Olympic-calibre dancer training for a professional ballet career on the world stage to the young child or older adult who may be embracing the joy of dance for the first time.

Whether you want to own the spotlight, or dance for the joy of it, you belong at NBS.

Professional Training Programs
Established in 1959 by Betty Oliphant and Celia Franca, NBS is one of the world’s foremost training institutions for aspiring young dancers and teachers. Attracting students from across the country and around the world, ours is the only ballet school in North America to provide professional dance training, academic instruction and residential care on the same campus. Our progressive curriculum, with its emphasis on the physical and emotional well-being of the student, has put NBS at the forefront of dance training internationally. 

Recreational Dance Programs
Through our Young Dancers Program, we engage dancers aged 5-17 in part-time Intensive Ballet—based on NBS’ formal ballet syllabus—and Open Dance streams. The program thrives on the same teaching theories and evolving practices as those of our professional training programs.

The School's popular Adult Ballet Program offers classes in the evenings and on weekends to adults of all fitness levels and dance experience.
 
Community Dance Programs
Within communities across Canada, we develop content and partnerships to empower school teachers and community programmers in using dance to enhance kids’ fundamental movement skills, inspire creativity, and improve mental and emotional well-being. 

With in-person and video streaming delivery models, NBS engages seniors to be more active, socially connected and confident through the artistic expression of dance.