Senior Pedagogue, School of Alberta Ballet: Nancy Kilgour
Originally from St.Catharines, Ontario, Nancy Kilgour's early training was in Canada with Betty Oliphant and Celia Franca. Teaching for the National Ballet School from its inception she also both performed with and taught for the National Ballet of Canada. In 1965 she was one of the first two Canadians to obtain the highest Cecchetti Examinations in England. In 1967 she was awarded a Canada Council grant for study in Russia at the Bolshoi Ballet learning methods of teaching Classical Ballet and also completing a course of study in Character Dance.
While still a teacher at the National Ballet School Nancy was invited to teach for the school in Antwerp, Belgium associated with the Royal Ballet of Flanders and in 1969 to teach for Erik Bruhn at the Royal Swedish Ballet.
In 1971 she left Canada with her husband to work in England, teaching at the Royal Ballet School, both the Lower School (White Lodge) and at the Upper School. While teaching there she continued studying teaching methods at the School of the Paris Opera, the School of American Ballet and the Kirov School in St. Petersburg. In 1984 she was invited to participate in a cultural exchange with China, teaching ballet and repertoire at the Chinese National School in Beijing.
From 1986 Mrs. Kilgour taught both as an international guest teacher and at the Central School of Ballet in London. Former students include some of the world's leading international stars such as Karen Kain, Veronica Tennant, Darcey Bussel, Viviana Durante and Alessandra Ferri.
For the two years prior to coming to Calgary Mrs. Kilgour taught at the National Ballet School and Company.
