National Ballet of Canada Principal Dancer Tina Pereira Releases Children's Book

Hope Muir, Joan and Jerry Lozinski Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced that Principal Dancer Tina Pereira has released a children's book, Tina Prima Ballerina: Butterflies Dance Too, co-written with Loredana Cunti, with illustrations by Fabiana Salomão.  

Tina Prima Ballerina: Butterflies Dance Too is a heartwarming children's book filled with educational messages on mindfulness, belonging and empowerment. The book follows a young Pereira, a spirited young dancer who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina. On the day of her audition, she is overcome with nervousness and a strange feeling in her stomach. She must deal with and overcome these butterflies as she takes the first giant leap towards making her dreams come true. The book includes an afterword explaining the science behind butterflies in your tummy and deep breathing techniques to help kids turn fear into excitement. 

"From a very young age, my sole aspiration was to be a ballerina and at 37, I became The National Ballet of Canada's first Caribbean Principal Dancer in its 72-year history,” said Pereira. “Even after years of experience, I still feel the flutter of butterflies in my stomach before every performance. My wish with this book is to ignite the spark of ambition in children's hearts and empower them to chase their own dreams, no matter how big or small.”   

“Whether it's writing a test, trying out for the soccer team or starting a new job, we all experience butterflies at every stage in life. Working with Tina and Fabiana to help kids – and adults – magically turn them into friends is transformational,” said Cunti. 

“The book is just beautiful. I definitely can see myself in these pages and so many other budding ballerinas. Embrace the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable. It's all a part of you and your journey,” said Misty Copeland, best-selling author and Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre. 

Tina Prima Ballerina: Butterflies Dance Too is now available in both print and e-book formats and can be purchased through Kindle and in person in Toronto at Indigo, Coles Bookstore (Queen St. East location), Ella Minnow Children's Bookstore, Mara Dancewear, The Shoe Room at Canada's National Ballet School and The National Ballet of Canada's Ballet Boutique at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts during performances. The book is also available for purchase online at Indigo, Ella Minnow Children's Bookstore and Amazon.  

Pereira was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and trained at Canada's National Ballet School. She joined The National Ballet of Canada in 2001 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2021. Tina is acclaimed for her technique and gorgeous lines, bringing elegance to each role she performs. Her repertoire includes Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker, Valencienne in The Merry Widow, Lise in La Fille mal gardée, Katerina in The Taming of the Shrew, Spring in The Four Seasons, the title role in Carmen, among many other roles in both the classical and contemporary genre.  

With the National Ballet, Pereira recently made her debut as Olga in John Cranko's Onegin and will dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in James Kudelka's The Nutcracker, December 9, 21 at 2:00 pm, December 15 at 7:00 pm and December 27, 31 at 1:00 pm.

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