Celia Franca as Giselle in the ballet "Giselle", The National ballet of Canada, 1956-1957 season

Celia Franca CC, (June 25, 1921 – February 19, 2007) was the founder of The National Ballet of Canada (1951) and its artistic director for 24 years.[1] Image File history File linksMetadata Celia_Franca. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Celia_Franca. ... Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country. ... June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD (or CE) era. ... The National Ballet of Canada is Canadas largest ballet troupe. ...

Born in London, England, in 1921 she began to study dance at the age of 4 and was a scholarship student at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Dance. In 1941, she was recognized as one of the finest dramatic ballerinas in the Sadler's Wells company. In 1947 she joined the Metropolitan Ballet as a soloist and ballet mistress. It was there that she began choreographing for television, creating the first two ballets - Eve of St. Agnes and Dance of Salomé - ever commissioned by the BBC. London — containing the City of London — is the capital of the United Kingdom and of England and a major world city. With over seven million inhabitants (Londoners) in Greater London area, it is amongst the most densely populated areas in Western Europe. ... Categories: University stubs | Performing arts education in London ... The Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) was established in 1920 by a group of professional dance artists brought together by Philip Richardson, editor of the Dancing Times and including: Adeline Genée - Denmark Tamara Karsavina - Russia Lucia Cormani - Italy Edouard Espinosa - France Phyllis Bedells - England Representing the principal dance training... The London Coliseum, home of the English National Opera The English National Opera (ENO) is Londons second opera company, after the Royal Opera at Covent Garden. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation, usually known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is one of the largest broadcasting corporations in the world in terms of audience numbers, employing 26,000 staff in the UK alone and with a budget of more than £4 billion. ...

In 1950, a group of Toronto balletomanes asked Franca to start a Canadian classical company. A determined woman who thrived on challenges, she did the impossible in only 10 months - while supporting herself as a file clerk at Eaton's department store, she recruited and trained dancers, staged some Promenade Concerts, organized a summer school, gathered a talented artistic staff and whipped her uneven but enthusiastic new company into shape for its opening on November 12, 1951.

She and Betty Oliphant founded The National Ballet School of Canada in 1959 to provide exceptional dancers for the Company. During her years with the National Ballet and since her retirement, Celia has been recognized at home and abroad. Nancy Elizabeth Betty Oliphant, CC , O,Ont , LL.D (August 5, 1918–July 12, 2004) was a co-founder of the Canadian National Ballet School. ...

In 1978 Celia Franca, Merrilee Hodgins and Joyce Shietze opened The School of Dance in Ottawa as a nationally registered, educational, charitable, non-profit organization designed to provide professional training for dance. Crichton Street Public School Crichton Street Public School was an elementary school in the New Edinburgh neighbourhood of Ottawa. ...

Celia now lives in Ottawa and, among many commitments, is a Co-Artistic Director of The School of Dance, a member of the board of governors of York University and the board of directors of the Canada Council and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Canada Dance Festival Society. Motto: Advance Ottawa/Ottawa en avant Location of the City of Ottawa in the Province of Ontario Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario Established 1850 as Town of Bytown Incorporated 1855 as City of Ottawa Amalgamated January 1, 2001 Mayor Larry OBrien Local government Ottawa City Council (21 councillors) MPs... Crichton Street Public School Crichton Street Public School was an elementary school in the New Edinburgh neighbourhood of Ottawa. ... York University, located in Toronto, Ontario, is Canadas third-largest university. ...

Celia continues her association with The National Ballet of Canada, revising works for the Company such as Offenbach in the Underworld (1983) and staging The Nutcracker. Celia returned to the Company to produce a 35th Anniversary Gala Performance at Toronto's O'Keefe Centre.

In 1967, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 1985. Seal of the Order of Canada The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, with membership awarded to those who exemplify the Orders Latin motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam, which means (those) desiring a better country. ...

References

• The National Ballet of Canada
• The National Ballet School of Canada
• Celia Franca's Biography on the National Ballet of Canada website
• Image gallery on the National Ballet of Canada website
• Celia Franca home page
• The Celia Franca Foundation
• The School of Dance in Ottawa
• The National Ballet of Canada Mourns Celia Franca