Robert Binet was born in Toronto and is a graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School. He was appointed Choreographic Associate of The National Ballet of Canada in 2013 after serving as the first ever Choreographic Apprentice for The Royal Ballet in London, where he was mentored by Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor. Robert returned to The Royal Ballet in 2016 to create Void and Fire in honour of McGregor’s 10th anniversary with the company.
Robert has created several innovative works for The National Ballet of Canada. In 2016, The Dreamers Ever Leave You, an immersive piece that debuted as part of the Lawren Harris exhibition at the Art Gallery of Ontario, was created and has since been remounted in numerous iterations in Canada and on tour in London, England and for film. His other works include Unearth, These Worlds in Us, The Wild Space Between Two Hearts, Orpheus Alive, set to an original score by Missy Mazzoli, Self and Soul and Lake Maligne, a solo he adapted for Expansive Dances, a series of dance films created during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Robert’s choreography is performed by several companies around the globe. He has created original work for New York City Ballet, Dutch National Ballet’s junior company, Ballett am Rhein, Estonian National Ballet, Germany’s National Youth Ballet, The Genée International Ballet Competition and Ballet Black. He also choreographed the music videos for Owen Pallett’s Song for Five & Six and Belle and Sebastian’s The Party Line.
Since 2019, Robert has supported Canadian choreographers and independent dance artists as Creative Producer of CreativAction, a programme that shares the National Ballet’s resources with the broader dance community and develops choreographic talent. In 2021, he was appointed Curator and Producer, CreativAction and Special Initiatives in recognition of his growing contribution to this area of the company’s work.
Robert was mentored by Artistic Director Emerita Karen Kain for the 2017 Governor General’s Performing Arts Award Mentorship Program.
Peter Dwyer Award
National Ballet School (Canada) / Canada Council for the Arts (2010)
Governor General’s Performing Arts Award
Mentorship Programme (Karen Kain’s protégé (2017)
2017
The Sea Above, The Sky Below - The National Ballet of Canada
The Kreutzer Sonata - Ballet Moscow
Self and Soul - The National Ballet of Canada
2016
Void and Fire - The Royal Ballet
The Dreamers Ever Leave You - The National Ballet of Canada
Terra Incognita - Wild Space
The Blue of Distance - New York City Ballet
2015
Orpheus Becomes Eurydice - The Banff Centre /The National Ballet of Canada - co-commission
The Wild Space Between Two Hearts - The National Ballet of Canada
Surfacing - Dutch National Ballet Junior Company
2014
Untitled work - The New York Choreographic Institute / affiliate of New York City Ballet
The Party Line - (Music video) Belle and Sebastian‘s ‘The Party Line’
White Rush - (Dance film) The Royal Ballet / featuring dancers of The National Ballet of Canada
These Worlds In Us - The National Ballet of Canada
Wave Ring - Canada’s National Ballet School
Song for Five & Six - (Music video) Owen Pallett’s ‘Song for Five & Six’
2013
Unearth - The National Ballet of Canada
Free Verse and Open Form - The Royal Academy of Dance / The Genée International Ballet Competition
Stretchy Movement - Wayne McGregor | Random Dance
Earthborn - Canada’s National Ballet School
Aerial View - The Royal Ballet
EGAL - Ballet Black
Life’s Witness - Wayne McGregor | Random Dance / the Royal Opera House
Vertigo - YouDance / National Ballet of Canada second company
Incident and Repose - The National Ballet of Canada
Polar Night - The National Ballet of Canada
Voces Intimae - Estonian National Ballet
Lake Maligne - Bob Lockyer’s Birthday Bash at The Place / Wayne McGregor
Die schöne Müllerin - Bundesjugendballett, / Hamburg Ballet second company
2012
At The River Styx - The Royal Ballet
Postlude - YouDance / National Ballet of Canada second company
Chance Has Spoken - New York Choreographic Institute / New York City Ballet
Another Dark - The National Ballet of Canada’s Choreographic Lab