111 Maitland street
When NBS opened in 1959, it was housed at 111 Maitland Street in a former Quaker Meeting House. The building was cramped and provided barely enough space for the initial group of twenty-six students who even had to trek to nearby Jarvis Collegiate for their science lessons.
As word spread of NBS’ excellent training, enrollment increased rapidly and the School soon outgrew the original space. To accommodate its growing student body, NBS leased a house at 410 Jarvis Street and gradually acquired five additional buildings on Maitland Street. In 1975, NBS added a final Maitland building, securing its presence on the entire block. In spite of these expansions, the original building at 111 Maitland remained the heart of the School and is still remembered fondly by generations of students. Today, the building functions as a residence and dining hall.
NBS Students trek past the front steps of 111 Maitland Street, a former Quaker meeting house and the original space of Canada's National Ballet School.
“Arriving on Maitland Street for the very first time and seeing the green door that used to be the entrance to the residence building. I knew right away that I was entering a whole new world full of inspiration and possibilities!!”
“Dancing in studio A/B [at 111 Maitland] when it was still a studio during summer school classes. There was no air conditioning so the fans were blasting and the doors propped open to the street to let in any breeze possible. Those classes became mini performances for anyone willing to watch, whether fellow students (auditioning or returning, exchange students), staff, or onlookers from the street. It was great to be reminded that dancing is a performance, expression to others, which is what I loved most about ballet - not just a rigorous, sweat-inducing exercise.”