Raised in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Rebekah Rimsay trained with Canada’s National Ballet School’s professional training program before joining The National Ballet of Canada in 1990. As a performing artist with The National Ballet of Canada, Rebekah began her career in the corps de ballet, was promoted to second soloist in 1995, first soloist in 1998 and principal character artist in 2012. Rebekah’s career was marked by her versatility, as she danced a broad spectrum of ensemble, soloist, and leading roles in classical ballet, contemporary ballet, and modern dance repertoire, as well as occasional vocal theatrical roles. Ms. Rimsay’s repertoire included featured roles in Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, La Fille mal gardée, The Merry Widow, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Pinocchio, Onegin, Washington Square, The Seagull, Apollo, Jewels, Serenade, The Man in Black and 24 Preludes by Chopin. She has created several notable roles in works by James Kudelka, including An Italian Straw Hat, Cinderella, The Contract (The Pied Piper) and The Four Seasons. Rebekah also received the Rolex Dancers First Award in 2014 for her portrayal of the Stepmother and Stepsister in Cinderella and the William Marrié Award for Dramatic Achievement for Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty in 2010 and her role as Her Other Stepsister in Cinderella in 2004.
During her tenure with The National Ballet of Canada, Rebekah also assumed a ballet coaching role, setting choreography and directing rehearsals for many of the company’s large classical ballet productions and contemporary works, and worked with emerging artists in the YouDance outreach educational program as a choreographer and coach. After her retirement from The National Ballet of Canada in 2023, Rebekah continues to contribute to the ballet world as a freelance coach, teacher, and stager. She also holds ballet faculty positions at Canada’s National Ballet School and Toronto Metropolitan University. Rebekah’s degree in psychology informs her holistic approach to training and coaching, and contributes to her varied roles in the ballet world.
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