Fernand Nault

Fernand Nault, born Fernand-Noël Boissonneault in Montreal on December 27, 1920, was a Canadian dancer, choreographer, and ballet master whose career spanned both sides of the border. He initially pursued a vocation in the priesthood before redirecting his ambitions toward dance, studying first with Maurice Morenoff in Montreal and subsequently with teachers in New York City, London, and Paris.

Nault's professional performing career began in 1944 when he was recruited by the American Ballet Theatre following an audition held in Montreal, where he was taken on to replace an injured dancer. He developed into a noted character dancer with the company and eventually took on the roles of ballet master and director of the company's school. His time with American Ballet Theatre also brought him to Broadway, where he appeared in 1946 in productions including Annie Get Your Gun and the musical Fancy Free. After two decades with the company, Nault departed in 1965 and returned to Montreal at the invitation of Ludmilla Chiriaeff, joining Les Grands Ballets Canadiens as co-artistic director and resident choreographer.

Among his choreographic works, Nault's production of Casse-Noisette has been performed each Christmas season in Montreal for many years and stands as one of his most recognized contributions to Canadian dance. His Carmina Burana, originally created in 1962, received a new production in 1966 for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens' season during Expo 67. In 1970 he created Tommy, a rock ballet drawn from the rock opera by The Who, which proved enormously popular. Nault also served as choreographer and ballet master for the École Supérieure de Danse du Québec, the school Chiriaeff established in 1966.

Beyond his work in Canada, Nault served as guest choreographer for several American companies, among them the Denver Civic Ballet and the Atlanta Ballet. He also held the position of artistic director with the Colorado Ballet for a period. In 1990, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens named him choreographer emeritus, a title he retained for the remainder of his life.

His contributions to the performing arts earned him significant recognition. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1977 and named a Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Québec in 1990. In 2000, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. Nault died in Montreal on December 26, 2006, one day before his 86th birthday, following a prolonged illness with Parkinson's disease.