Emily Molnar

Artistic Director

Since 2020, Emily Molnar has served as Artistic Director of NDT, guiding the company into a new era of artistic growth and innovation. Under her leadership, NDT has worked with more than 35 choreographers and developed ambitious, award-winning collaborations that bring new and diverse artistic voices to the company. These include Figures in Extinction, created with associate Choreographer Crystal Pite and Simon McBurney/Complicité, and the renewed version of Into the Hairy with S-E-D.

A central part of Molnar’s approach has been building lasting relationships with artists. She established NDT’s associate Choreographer model through long-term collaborations with Crystal Pite and Marco Goecke. In the 2025–2026 season, she expanded the model to include Marcos Morau, Jermaine Spivey, and Imre van Opstal & Marne van Opstal. These relationships give artists the opportunity to deepen their practice, take creative risks and develop their work over time, while bringing new perspectives and approaches to NDT.

Molnar has also strengthened NDT’s commitment to the long-term development of artists. She introduced the Dancer Pathway and Maker Pathway, creating sustained opportunities for dancers and makers to research, train, develop their practice and create new work. Together, these pathways provide a holistic framework for artistic development while contributing to the wider dance sector through long-term investment in artists and artistic practice.

Through this combination of artistic collaboration, talent development and long-term investment in artists, Molnar has strengthened NDT’s role as a home for choreographic innovation and artistic development.

An internationally respected dancer, choreographer, mentor, arts advocate and leader, Molnar has worked and toured extensively throughout her career. After graduating from the National Ballet School of Canada in 1990, she danced with the National Ballet of Canada and Ballet BC before becoming a soloist with Ballett Frankfurt under the direction of William Forsythe.

From 2009 to 2020, Molnar was Artistic Director of Ballet BC, where her focus on innovation and collaboration led to the creation of more than 45 new works and brought the company international recognition. She also served for five years as Artistic Director of Dance at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Molnar’s contribution to the dance world has been recognized through numerous awards and honors. In 2016, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors, for her contributions to the art of dance.

Emily Molnar

Interviews

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