BESIDES BEING PRINCIPAL dancers for the National Ballet of Canada, Heather Ogden and Guillaume Côté are a blissfully in-love couple who got engaged this summer and are planning to tie the knot next year. Eleven years ago, they were apprentices and strangers. The couple will share the stage in The Sleeping Beauty this month and will star in Swan Lake in the new year. Here, Heather explains how their love affair danced off the stage and into the sunset.
How they met
Guillaume and I met when we both joined the National Ballet of Canada as apprentices, 11 years ago. We were paired together in many ballets and became good friends in the studio before we ever began dating.
The first date
Our first official date was three years ago. Because we had been friends for so long, it wasn’t typical.
What happened?
Guillaume had just returned to Toronto after a long time away, guesting with another ballet company, and asked me out to dinner. Who knows if it was all the time apart or if it had been in the cards all along, but I sensed a very different vibe between us that night. It was clear that we weren’t going to be “just friends” any more.
The courtship
Our courtship was pretty unique in that we are partners both on- and offstage. We have shared countless memories while dancing together. It’s difficult to describe how wonderful it is to dance with the person you love; there is an incredible amount of trust there.
The proposal
We went on an amazing trip to Italy this past summer and were spending a few days in Florence. We found a little ledge beside the famous Ponte Vecchio to sit on, to watch the sunset. Guillaume chose that moment to pop the question. It was very romantic and a definite “yes” for me!
Wedding plans
We are planning to get married next July in Toronto. The week after, we are planning to go to Guillaume’s hometown of Lac-Saint-John in northern Quebec where we will have a second wedding celebration for all those not able to get to the city for the first ceremony. At the moment, that’s all that we have planned, but at some point, I would love to take a beach honeymoon. I’m thinking Tahiti.…
Memorable moments
There are so many.… We love to get out and experience what the city has to offer. Guillaume is a big fan of classical music, and early on in our relationship, he took me to hear the symphony, which I loved! We also recently bought our first house together, and we love exploring our new neighbourhood and have already found a few favourite hangout spots.
Love onstage
Guillaume and I will be sharing the stage in the upcoming production of The Sleeping Beauty, Nov. 13 to 22, 2009. I will be Princess Aurora and he will be my Prince Florimund. We will also dance together in Swan Lake in 2010.
