Principal Dancer Siphesihle November will be leaving the National Ballet of Canada at the end of the 2025/26 season. The announcement was made by Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinksi Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada.
“I have truly valued my time working with Siphe. He had just been promoted to Principal Dancer when I arrived and it has been deeply rewarding to curate repertoire that has supported his continued growth into the artist he is today,” said Hope Muir in a statement.
“Our time working together has been meaningful for both of us. As an Artistic Director, I strongly believe that dancers benefit from a range of experiences. Within the relatively short span of a dancer’s career, opportunities for exploration are incredibly important. Siphe will always have a place at The National Ballet of Canada and there will be opportunities for him to return as a guest in the future. I wish him every success.”
Siphesihle November
Siphesihle was born in Zolani, South Africa. While performing street dances with his brothers as a child, a teacher noticed his talents, and invited him to attend her ballet classes. In 2009, he crossed paths with a Canadian couple who also recognized his gift for dance, and at the age of 11, they brought him to Toronto to study at Canada’s National Ballet School on a scholarship.
He joined the NBC’s Corps de Ballet in 2017, and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2021.
His performances are characterized by a combination of musicality and technical prowess, combined with his uniquely charismatic stage presence. November has been noted for his performances in both traditional and contemporary repertoire.
Siphesihle’s talents have been recognized by awards. He was named one of Pointe Magazine’s Star of the Corps and one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch in 2018. He won the 2019 The International Competition for The Erik Bruhn Prize.
Highlights include:
- The world premiere of Procession, choreographed by Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber;
- He recently performed in the North American premiere of Crystal Pite’s Flight Pattern;
- Role highlights: Siegfried in Swan Lake, Albrecht in Giselle, Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker, Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty, Benvolio and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Lensky in Onegin, Basilio in Don Quixote, Puck in The Dream, Lewis Carroll/White Rabbit in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Jimmy/Snowman in MADDADDAM and Rodolphe Boulanger in Emma Bovary.
He is a choreographer as well as a dancer, and his On Solid Ground debuted on the National Ballet’s MainStage in 2022. To mark the retirement of former First Soloist Tanya Howard, he created All That Is Within, which was performed at MAD HOT BALLET: Deco-Danse.
Final Thoughts
Although he will no longer be a regular performer, it seems likely that Toronto audiences can look forward to future guest appearances with the NBC.
“I will always carry deep gratitude for my time with The National Ballet of Canada. It has been a profound honour to grow, perform and share the stage with such extraordinary artists. I look forward to the possibility of continued collaborations and to crossing paths again in the future,” said November.
LV wishes Siphesihle the best of luck in all future endeavours.
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