TOLEDO, OH – On Monday, December 2, 2024, Toledo Ballet announces the hiring of professional dancer Liza van Heerden as a member of Toledo Ballet faculty and Principal Dancer for Toledo Ballet productions.  

Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Liza began dancing at a young age with Marina Nicalaou and later with the Cape Junior Ballet School. Growing up, Liza attended summer intensives at the Kirov Academy, Ellison Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet. Liza studied at the Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington D.C. for four years, receiving Russian training under teachers from the Vaganova Academy, Bolshoi, and Perm schools. After graduating as valedictorian with honors, she went on to study at Butler University as a member of Butler Ballet. In the spring of 2023, she graduated with honors receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Dance: Arts Administration and a minor in English. At Butler, she had many opportunities to work on other styles of dance such as modern and jazz, as well as practicing her own choreographic skills. She has had experience teaching classical ballet classes in Cape Town as well as during her time at Kirov. 

“Liza brings a wide range of experience to Toledo Ballet and we’re very excited to have her as a part of our faculty and on-stage as a principal dancer,” says Eric Otto, Artistic Director and Head of Curriculum at Toledo Ballet. “Already, Liza has become a role model to our students and has been a great asset to helping teach our youngest dancers as they begin their ballet training.” 

Liza currently teaches Pre-Primary through Level 2.5 Ballet classes at Toledo Ballet. She also leads community outreach activities at area Boys and Girls Clubs and will be leading dance outreach activities in local schools in the spring semester.  

“My first couple of months at Toledo Ballet have been a very welcoming and positive experience,” says van Heerden. “The students’ enthusiasm and commitment to dance is palpable and it has been a joy working with them in the studio. “ 

As a professional dancer, Liza has performed in a range of classical ballet repertoire including Giselle, The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire, and La Bayadere. While at Butler under the direction of Deborah Wingert, she also performed in a production of Balanchine’s Serenade. In 2023, Liza joined Ballet Theatre Company as a Company Dancer and there performed coveted roles such as the Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, and many more. She also taught ballet technique for all ages and choreographed for students in the school.  

“Liza’s arrival is the beginning of our dream to create a small professional company here at Toledo Ballet,” says Otto. “She is a beautiful dancer, and I am looking forward to her debut in our upcoming production of The Nutcracker as the Sugar Plum Fairy. She will also dance the lead role of Snow White in our spring production.” 

Toledo Ballet's 84th production of The Nutcracker continues to delight audiences of all ages and remains a holiday tradition in the hearts of millions. Gustavo Ramirez will partner with Liza as the Cavalier in this year’s The Nutcracker, his fourth appearance with Toledo Ballet. After a Christmas Eve celebration turns into a high-stakes battle between the Mouse King and the Nutcracker Prince (performed by Quinn Otto) Clara (performed by Lily van Tuinen and Henley Slaman) and her Prince travel to the Land of the Sweets to be enchanted by dances and offerings from around the world. The Sugar Plum Fairy (Liza van Heerden) then sends Clara and her Prince off to live happily ever after. Toledo Symphony, led by Music Director Alain Trudel, performs Tchaikovsky's timeless score live for the longest running production of The Nutcracker in North America.    

This year’s performances are presented by Fifth Third Bank and Cenovus. 

Tickets to The Nutcracker are available online at www.artstoledo.com/nutcracker or by calling the TAPA Box Office at 419.246.8000. Please beware of third-party ticket resellers. Only tickets sold by The Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts are valid.  

For more information about Liza van Heerden, Toledo Ballet, and The Nutcracker, please visit www.artstoledo.com/toledoballet. 

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ABOUT TOLEDO BALLET  

Toledo Ballet inspires the passions and spirit of the Toledo community through dance. Toledo Ballet provides quality dance instruction and exceptional performance opportunities to over 250 students throughout northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan annually.  

Founded in 1939 by Marie Bollinger Vogt, Toledo Ballet continues to offer quality dance education spanning all ages and ability levels. Classes include ballet, contemporary, tap, tumbling, and Adaptive Dance, a unique class providing those with special needs an opportunity to learn to move in ways that come naturally to them. Acting, voice, musical theater, and conditioning are also offered at the school. In addition, Toledo Ballet brings in world-renowned, professional dancers each year to lead its summer intensive programs, drawing students from across the region seeking to advance their skills.  

Toledo Ballet students have competed at the national and international level, including the Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP), the world’s largest international student ballet competition, and many have pursued dance professionally at some of the most prestigious ballet institutions in the nation, including New York City Ballet, Chicago Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet.  

ABOUT TOLEDO ALLIANCE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 

On January 1, 2019, the Toledo Ballet and Toledo Symphony officially merged to form the Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing exceptional live music and dance performances and education for the region. Stemming from an 81-year partnership and annual presentation of The Nutcracker in Toledo, this merger is one of only a few in the nation and promises to create new and invigorating programs, provide cost and revenue synergies in operations, and integrate the arts through shared educational missions.