Ludwig Van’s Q&A series is comprised of a bank of questions aimed at artists who have made a serious mark on the arts scene in Toronto. They pick and choose. The minimum response is 20 answers.
For nearly 30 years, Principal Dancer Greta Hodgkinson has been a fixture at Canada’s premiere ballet company. First joining the National Ballet in 1990, Greta quickly rose to fame as Principal Dancer on 1996. An artist acclaimed for her dazzling technical virtuosity, dramatic intensity and articulate characterization, she is the complete ballerina par excellence. Greta Hodgkinson has performed every leading role in the classical repertoire and her talents extend to the contemporary repertoire as well.
Her farewell performances are coming up: she will dance the seminal role of Marguerite in Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand. This production, which was acquired in Greta’s honour by Karen Kain and the National Ballet, makes its company premiere February 29 – March 7, 2020. After that, Greta will appear in Crypto (by her National Ballet colleague and frequent partner Guillaume Côté) for Canadian Stage.
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What are three things about Toronto that make you want to live here?
Quality of life, it’s diversity and restaurants
Your drink/cocktail of choice?
Wine (white: Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc/ red: Bordeaux)
Your favourite sound?
My kids laughing
Your least favourite sound?
My kids crying
First thing that comes to your mind when you think about Toronto.
Home
The dumbest thing that you’ve ever done to your hair?
I tried to go blonde and it ruined my hair
Where was the last place you traveled to for work or pleasure?
Cruise to the Caribbean
What is your biggest phobia?
Claustrophobia
Where did you go to school?
Canada’s National Ballet School
Signature meal to cook at home?
Pasta pomodoro / eggplant parmigiana
Summer or winter?
Summer
The cliché that you overuse?
“Everything happens for a reason”
The last show you binge watched?
The Crown, Afterlife
Shoe of choice?
Sneakers
The different career path that you could have gone on?
Being a chef
Your ancestry?
Armenian/ English, French Canadian
What did you dress up for Halloween when you were a kid?
Wonder Woman
Television show that you could tolerate re-runs of?
The Office
Your major character flaw?
Impatience/Perfectionism
The character flaw in others that you can’t abide?
No sense of humour
What are you the most proud of?
My family
What is the best thing about your work?
Performing
What is the worst thing about your work?
Physical pain
The talent that you wish you possessed?
A gorgeous singing voice
What are you listening to as you answer these questions?
A discussion about shows on Netflix
What musical instrument do you secretly long to play?
Piano (it’s not so secret)
What sport did you give up and why?
Ice skating, in order to pursue ballet
The thing that makes you the angriest?
Ignorance
The first three things that you do every morning?
Make coffee, get my son breakfast, check my phone for messages
The best way to die?
In your sleep
To read more from our Q&A Series, click HERE.
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