Remembering Nadia Potts

As the dance community continues to reflect on the legacy of Nadia Potts (external link) , who passed away peacefully on Monday, February 2, 2026 with her family by her side, I find myself looking back not only with deep sadness but also with profound admiration. Nadia is survived by her husband Harold Gomez, her brother Alexander, her children Natalya and Alexander, and her cherished 15-month-old granddaughter, Lucie.

Nadia was many things to many people, and to me she was a friend, a mentor, a former colleague, and—in her own words—a “chosen sister.”

Her professional life unfolded as a masterpiece in two acts. Many know Nadia as an iconic figure in Canadian ballet, whose breathtaking artistry helped define an era. She joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1966 at just 18 and rose to the rank of principal dancer, a position she held for 17 of her 20 years with the company. As a cultural ambassador on the world stage, she partnered with legendary artists such as Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Erik Bruhn, alongside exceptional Canadian talents including James Kudelka and Frank Augustyn. Throughout her performing career, Nadia’s commanding stage presence captured hearts and left an enduring legacy.

Nadia would agree that her second act—and perhaps her greatest contribution—began in 1989, when she became a full-time professor and director of the Ryerson Dance Program (now TMU’s Performance Dance Program). Through unwavering and visionary leadership, she transformed a small diploma program into a world-class conservatory. As the driving force behind the four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, she established one of Canada’s premier professional training grounds. Quite simply, without Nadia, there would be no dance program at TMU.

I had the great privilege of working alongside Nadia for 22 years. I first met her when I was just 25—she was warm, open, and famously decisive, hiring me almost immediately after watching me in the studio. Alongside our cherished colleague Karen Duplisea—whom she hired with that same instinctive confidence—and a small, close-knit circle of instructors, we grew together in our shared passion until her retirement in 2013. In the years that followed, our friendship deepened even more, particularly as she faced her three-year battle with cancer with extraordinary courage.

At Ryerson/TMU, Nadia built a strong and holistic educational foundation, but the heart of her work was always in the studio. She loved teaching and often said it gave her more fulfillment than her celebrated performance career. She once told me she had truly found a home at TMU—a place where she could be herself, experiment freely, and let go of the need to be perfect.

Nadia was an incredible teacher, a force of nature: endlessly curious, passionate, and energetic. Her legendary humor—quick, mischievous, and generous—was central to her teaching.  She challenged students while making them feel deeply supported, and former graduates still smile as they recall her classes. Many tell me they continue to hear her voice reminding them to go for their dreams and to approach challenges with joy, pride, and above all, humour. Nadia loved helping young dancers discover their potential and was never afraid to admit she didn’t have all the answers—she shared her wisdom and experience freely with the students while also learning from them.  

As a leader, Nadia was both visionary and highly collaborative. She brought together remarkable faculty and guest artists, bridged the studio with the professional world, and championed emerging choreographers by offering them their first full-scale opportunities. She had a rare gift for recognizing potential and the courage to take chances—on new ideas, on young artists, and on me, when she gave me my first opportunity to create a full-length concert jazz work.

Nadia’s influence reached far beyond the university. She coached Canadian Olympic ice dance teams, served as an examiner for the Royal Academy of Dance’s Solo Seal, authored Betty Oliphant: The Artistry of Teaching (2007), and served on the board of Dance Collection Danse. Her remarkable life and legacy were honored with the Dance Ontario Lifetime Achievement Award, the GREET Teaching Award at TMU, and her induction into the Dance Collection Danse Hall of Fame.

Somehow, through all these accomplishments, Nadia kept a beautiful balance in her life. She loved traveling with Harold in their RV; she adored her children; she maintained a vibrant social life, and continued to see shows and support graduates in all their endeavors. During her final days, Nadia was showered with messages of love and gratitude from former students, colleagues, and friends. She met these moments with a twinkle in her eye and her signature sense of humour, finding deep peace in her decision to say goodbye on her own terms. 

Her enduring legacy is not merely in the institutions she served, but in the countless lives she touched. Nadia truly lives in and through so many of us. As one of her final wishes, Nadia asked that her scholarship at TMU be revived. Please consider honoring her memory by donating to the Nadia Potts Heart and Soul Award for dance at TMU. Designate your gift to the Nadia Potts Heart and Soul Award at Giving to TMU. 

Further questions about Nadia Potts and the Nadia Potts Heart & Soul Award can be directed to Development Officer, Kieran Lynch: kieran.lynch@torontomu.ca 

Nadia’s celebration of life will be held at Mount Pleasant Funeral Centre, 375 Mt. Pleasant Rd, Toronto, on March 28, 2026. Visitation at 1 p.m., service at 2 p.m. with livestreaming. A memorial page for details and condolence notes can be found at https://mountpleasantgroup.permavita.com/site/NadiaPotts-Gomez.html

In Loving Memory,

Vicki St. Denys