Veronica Tennant
Encyclopedia
Veronica Tennant, CC
, FRSC
(born January 15, 1946) is a Canadian
dance and performance film producer and director, and former ballet dancer.
She was born in London, England and moved to Canada
with her parents and sister in 1955. Dancing from the age of four, by the age of 18, she became the youngest person ever to enter the National Ballet Company, and made her debut in the principal role in
Romeo and Juliet. By 1976, she was a star at the National Ballet and touring across North America, Europe and Japan with Mikhail Baryshnikov
and Rudolf Nureyev
,
among others, as prima ballerina
.
, York University
, Simon Fraser University
and the University of Toronto
. She serves often as keynote speaker. She has received several awards, including the Toronto Arts Award and the Arts and Letters Award from The Canadian Club of New York City.
In 1975 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
and was promoted to Companion in 2003. In 2001, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2006, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, FRSC
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
(born January 15, 1946) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
dance and performance film producer and director, and former ballet dancer.
She was born in London, England and moved to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
with her parents and sister in 1955. Dancing from the age of four, by the age of 18, she became the youngest person ever to enter the National Ballet Company, and made her debut in the principal role in
Romeo and Juliet. By 1976, she was a star at the National Ballet and touring across North America, Europe and Japan with Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
and Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Nureyev
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Russian dancer, considered one of the most celebrated ballet dancers of the 20th century. Nureyev's artistic skills explored expressive areas of the dance, providing a new role to the male ballet dancer who once served only as support to the women.In 1961 he...
,
among others, as prima ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
.
Awards
Veronica Tennant has been awarded honorary doctorates from Brock UniversityBrock University
Brock University is a comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Brock offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrolment of over 17,000 full-time students.The enabling legislation is...
, York University
York University
York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....
, Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University
Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...
and the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
. She serves often as keynote speaker. She has received several awards, including the Toronto Arts Award and the Arts and Letters Award from The Canadian Club of New York City.
In 1975 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
and was promoted to Companion in 2003. In 2001, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. In 2006, she was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Royal Society of Canada
The Royal Society of Canada , may also operate under the more descriptive name RSC: The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada , is the oldest association of scientists and scholars in Canada...
.
External links
- Official website
- Veronica Tennant as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet
- Veronica Tennant entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia
- http://www.cbc.ca/lifeandtimes/tennant.htmlLife and Times bio for CBCCBC TelevisionCBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
]
