Rex Harrington, O.C.
dancer

Rex Harrington was born in Peterborough, Ontario and graduated from Canada’s National Ballet School in 1981, joining The National Ballet of Canada (NBoC) in 1983. He became a Principal Dancer in 1988 and remained in that position until his retirement in 2004. One of the most accomplished and acclaimed male dancers of his era, he brought panache, energy, style and showmanship to the vast range of characterizations he created during his 20 years with The National Ballet of Canada. Rex performed internationally with Teatro alla Scala, San Francisco Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet, and partnered with legendary ballerinas including Ekaterina Maximova, Carla Fracci, Evelyn Hart and Karen Kain. He created numerous roles during his career as a dancer, including the central role in James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons, Peter in Mr. Kudelka’s The Nutcracker, Lewis Carroll in Glen Tetley’s Alice and The Young Gentleman in Mr. Tetley’s La Ronde, as well as lead roles in works by Jean-Pierre Perrault, Jiří Kylian, and Matjash Mrozewski. Rex was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2000 and was given a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2005. In 2006, he received an Honorary Doctorate from York University and was appointed Artist-in-Residence with the National Ballet. He continues to work with the NBoC as Rehearsal Director and Principal Coach.

For Peggy Baker Dance Projects: Rex was invited by Peggy to perform Brute for Year Three of the Choreographer’s Trust in 2005.