Position: Lead Principal

Years: 2018

Awards: Grand Prix Pavlova Best Male 2003 and 2006, International Ballet Competition in Cuba bronze medal 2010, Helsinki International Ballet Competition silver medal 2012, Patron Award of Merit 2014, Rolex Dancers First Award 2015

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Francesco Gabriele Frola was born in Aosta, Italy and trained at Professione Danza Parma in Italy, The School of the Hamburg Ballet in Germany and Fomento Artistico Cordobés in Mexico. Mr. Frola joined The National Ballet of Canada as a RBC Apprentice in 2010 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2018. In addition to being promoted to Principal Dancer, Mr. Frola will dance with both The National Ballet of Canada and the English National Ballet in the 2018/19 Season as a Principal Dancer.

Mr. Frola’s roles include the title role in Nijinsky, Albrecht in Giselle, Peter/The Nutcracker in The Nutcracker and Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty. His other roles include Lensky in Onegin, Florizel in The Winter’s Tale, James in La Sylphide, Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet and Lescaut in Manon. He has also danced roles in Swan Lake, A Month in the Country, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, La Fille mal gardée, The Four Seasons, Allegro Brillante, Opus 19/The Dreamer, Chroma, Theme and Variations, A Streetcar Named Desire, Pinocchio, Spectre de la Rose, Piano Concerto #1, Emergence, The Man in Black and Carousel (A Dance).

Mr. Frola was awarded the Patron Award of Merit in 2014. In 2012, he won the Silver Medal at the Helsinki International Ballet Competition and the Bronze Medal in the International Ballet Competition in Cuba in 2010. Mr. Frola was also a semi-finalist at Prix de Lausanne in 2008 and received the prize for Best Male at the Grand Prix Pavlova in 2006 and 2003. In 2018, he was a guest artist in the 44th Annual Nijinsky Gala for Hamburg Ballet Days.