Guillaume Côté: A Glorious Classical Ballet Career (original) (raw)

After an extraordinary 26-year career, Principal Dancer Guillaume Côté took his final bow with The National Ballet of Canada (NBoC) this past May. Renowned for his powerful theatrical stage presence, exceptional technique and athleticism, Guillaume has left an indelible mark on the world of ballet in Canada, and abroad. He first graced the National Arts Centre Southam Hall stage in 2001, performing in the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker, and has returned many times since. Guillaume may have stepped down as a classical dancer with The National Ballet, but local audiences will get to see him again on stage in February as he takes on the leading role in his danced version of Hamlet, co-created with Robert Lepage.

His deep passion for ballet has inspired many of us, and we are honoured to have witnessed his remarkable journey. Guillaume Côté is, without question, a true icon.

A little about Guillaume

Guillaume Côté grew up in Métabetchouan Lac-à-la-Croix, a small town in Quebec’s Lac-Saint-Jean area. His parents had a desire to bring more culture to their community and opened a ballet school — sparking Guillaume’s early passion for dance. Naturally gifted from an early age, he moved to Toronto at 11 years old to join Canada’s National Ballet School, where he could fully immerse himself in the art form he loved. Over the course of his remarkable career with The National Ballet of Canada, Guillaume had the opportunity to work with some of the most celebrated choreographers in the world, including John Neumeier, James Kudelka, William Forsythe, and Crystal Pite.

Iconic roles

Guillaume Côté became a principal dancer in 2004 at the young age of 23 years old and has performed many of the major classical roles with The National Ballet of Canada. Several lead roles have been created specifically for him, including Romeo in Alexei Ratmansky’s Romeo and Juliet which he also performed as a guest artist with The Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, Prince Charming in James Kudelka’s Cinderella — a role he performed at the Metropolitan Opera House — and Gene Kelly in Derek Deane’s Strictly Gershwin for the English National Ballet.

Guillaume also tackled one of the most challenging roles in the ballet repertoire, Onegin. He played the arrogant aristocrat with depth and complexity, delivering a performance rich in nuance and charisma.

Another impressive and physically challenging performance was his portrayal of Russian ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky in John Neumeier’s Nijinsky. He truly gave the audience an intimate glimpse into the character’s turbulent existence, bringing him to life with emotional intelligence and flawless technique.

Other talents

Guillaume has always thrived working with fearless creators. Endowed with a strong curiosity, he continuously strives to bring the art form to new heights, pushing the boundaries of his own creative practice. In addition to performing, Guillaume Côté has also made his mark as a choreographer — notably with works like Crypto (Côté Danse) and Frame by Frame (NBoC) with Robert Lepage. Some may remember his participation in the 2017 NAC landmark commission ENCOUNT3S which paired three of Canada's outstanding choreographic talents with three of the country's most exciting composers. Guillaume was paired with noted composer Kevin Lau for his work Dark Angels. Moreover, Guillaume is himself an accomplished musician and composer. A little fun fact: when Guillaume was 15 years old and a student at the National Ballet School, he played in a rock band in Toronto, a genre of music he still particularly loves.

What’s next for Guillaume?

Now that Guillaume has retired from The National Ballet of Canada, he is keeping busy as the Artistic Director of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur — one of the largest summer dance festivals in the country, and Artistic Director of his own company, Côté Danse, which he founded in 2021.

His latest creation with Lepage, The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is landing at the National Arts Centre on February 25 and 26, 2026. Expanding on their shared love for Shakespeare, they have joined forces once again to tackle this classic of literature: conveying the intricate tale of Hamlet without words. Guillaume will be joined on stage by eight dancers, including former Principal Dancer with the National Ballet, Greta Hodgkinson, O.Ont.

“One of the finest male dancers in the world.”
The London Times

More on Guillaume Côté

“Guillaume Côté: The Dancer Who Can’t Stand Still” , NUVO Magazine

“Two longtime collaborators on why Guillaume Côté might be the best of Canadian ballet”, CBC Arts

“Guillaume Côté just gave his final performance after 26 years with the National Ballet of Canada”, Toronto Life