YRDSB Certified teacher

Greta Hodgkinson, OOnt

Born in Providence, Rhode Island and trained at The National Ballet School, Greta Hodgkinson joined The National Ballet of Canada, where she has been a Principal Dancer since 1996.  An artist acclaimed for her dazzling technical virtuosity, dramatic intensity and articulate characterization, she is the complete ballerina, par excellence.  Ms. Hodgkinson has performed every leading role in the classical repertoire and her talents extend to the contemporary repertoire as well.  She has had numerous roles created for her by world renowned choreographers and has worked closely with such icons as William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Glen Tetley, John Neumeier, Alexei Ratmansky, Christopher Wheeldon, Wayne McGregor, James Kudelka and Crystal Pite. 

As a guest artist, Ms. Hodgkinson has appeared with The Mariinsky Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, The Australian Ballet, The Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Munich Ballet and Teatro Comunale di Firenze.  She has also performed at the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo, the State Kremlin Palace, Moscow, the Gala des Etoiles, Stars of the 21^st Century and International Ballet Galas in the United States, Canada, Japan, Russia and Europe. Ms. Hodgkinson has also worked extensively in film and has been featured in numerous dance and fashion magazines.

 In 2000, Ms. Hodgkinson was nominated for the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse for her role as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake.  In 2017, Ms. Hodgkinson was appointed to the Order of Ontario, the province’s highest honour which recognizes individuals whose exceptional achievement in their fields have left a lasting legacy in the province, Canada and beyond.  Ms. Hodgkinson has received two Citations from the State of Rhode Island in recognition of her extraordinary talents and accomplishments as a world class prima ballerina and her outstanding contribution to arts and culture in the United States.

Ms. Hodgkinson is an inspirational teacher and coach, working with professional dancers and students.  In 2020, after an extraordinary 30 years as a ballerina with The National Ballet of Canada, Ms. Hodgkinson was appointed to Artist in Residence with the company.    

TDSB Certified teacher

TCDSB Certified Teacher

Lauren was first exposed to meditation as part of her figure skating training as a child and she has used conscious relaxation and visualization techniques ever since.   As the Mindfulness and Meditation Programming Coordinator for the University of Toronto she leads meditations within and beyond the classroom for students and staff.     She has also taught mindfulness and yoga in the Toronto District School Board, Toronto Catholic District School Board and through numerous yoga studios.  Lauren is a Yoga Alliance registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) and Applied Mindfulness Meditation Specialist (U of T) with over 1000 hours of teaching experience.  She is currently pursuing a Masters of Education at the University of Toronto where she studies well-being and meditation in higher education.