MUHC nurse coordinator with lifelong passion for dance stars in Nutcracker ballet

Montrealer Marisa Navarole has been working as a nurse coordinator at the Montreal General Hospital for five years.

On top of working at the MUHC and studying at Concordia University, Navarole has another adventure this holiday season: taking the stage at Pierre-Péladeau Centre to perform in the Nutcracker ballet.

Early years

Navarole’s parents put her in ballet when she was around three-and-a-half years old. Initially, she didn’t want to go. She said she was a very introverted person. For her parents, this was a way to help her come out of her shell and meet new people and socialize.

Her first-ever ballet recital was in May 2002 when she was only four years old.

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“I was dressed as a pumpkin. It was a Cameron School of Dance recital of ‘Cinderella,’ and we were the three, four-year-old little pumpkins on stage,” said Navarole.

“I don’t remember much about dancing on stage at that age, but my parents said it looked like I had a lot of fun. And, as most kids would do at that age when they’re on stage, they’ll wave to their parents in the audience, and look up at the lights, and they’re just surrounded by this weird, unusual atmosphere. It’s something that stuck, and that I continue to look for and continue to admire that performance aspect, or just being on stage with an audience and having a bunch of people watching and getting to be the focus of their attention was really nice.”

Since that experience, she continued to dance with Cameron School of Dance. She danced competitively for around 10 years in different styles of dances including jazz and contemporary.

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Eventually she wanted to pursue ballet more seriously, so she enrolled at Ballet Divertimento in a Sport Etude Program after she graduated high school.

“I would do ballet in the morning and then in the evening I would do my studies,” she said.

Studying abroad

That program led to her to receive a scholarship to study ballet abroad at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow in June 2019. Navarole says it was a pleasure to study there, staying there for two years in order to complete her degree: a bachelor of arts in modern ballet.

“It was a phenomenal time those two years. I’ve had the pleasure of performing in Buckingham Palace for His Royal Highness Prince Charles, who is now King Charles, and it was an experience that I’ll always remember,” she said.

Working at the MUHC

After returning to Montreal after graduation, Navarole wanted to focus on finding a job in order to help pay for dancing and travelling for other auditions. At the end of February 2020, she got a job as a nurse coordinator at the Montreal General Hospital.

“As a coordinator, I am in charge of preparing the admissions, preparing the discharges for patients, and arranging their transport to and from the hospital, sometimes for various appointments within the hospital. I essentially try to make the nurses’ lives easier by taking away the stress. It’s a very busy floor, especially this one in particular, and my main role is to help take away that stress by making sure everything’s organized, everything’s flowing smoothly, and of course, I answer all the phone calls that come in and page different services. I really, whatever the nurses ask of me, I try to do the best and most efficiently I can, just so that I can help them out. My job is just to make everything run smoothly.”

After receiving her job, the COVID-19 pandemic hit shortly after, and she thought her dream was over.

The Nutcracker

Around three years later, she saw an audition notice for the 40th anniversary of the Nutcracker with Ballet Ouest Montreal.

“I went out on a limb and wanted to see if I still had what it took and if I could still perform on stage. It’s something that was really tough for me to give up for three years. I thought my career as a dancer was over with the pandemic, so I wanted to shoot my shot and give it another go.”

Luckily, shortly after the audition, she received a contract to perform in the 2023 edition of the ballet.

“I enjoyed it so much and then BO Montreal as a company is a really nurturing environment. So I auditioned again this year and I was able to make it again and get another contract with their 2024 Nutcracker,” expressed Navarole.

Navarole shared what it meant for her to be a part of this production for the second time.

“It’s an amazing feeling to be part of a production that’s so passionate about dance and just sharing what they love with everybody else,” she said.

“It’s hard to find a career in the arts, but they’re a very supportive company and it means a lot to me that I’m still able to do what I love and share what I love with a bunch of people on stage.”

She says the team behind the production make it a special one.

“The director, the crew, all the dancers there — it’s a wonderful environment. They’re very supportive of what you do. There are other dancers as well who are studying, so they’re very accommodating with their scheduling,” she said.

“They just want to put out the best production, and they want to make sure you, as a dancer, look your best and feel your best. So their casting is very representative of that. And they’re just, they just want to put on a good show, but they also want you to have fun doing it. So it’s really great when the director is that passionate about making sure you are having fun, and it’s not all about the technical aspect or making sure everything’s perfect, because a lot of the time it won’t be. It’s hard to make every performance 110 per cent, but you do your best.

“Their words of encouragement are there, and they’re there to listen to you and make sure that you’re really supported and able to get through all these performances.”

About the show

The Nutcracker ballet has become an annual holiday tradition. This year, the production is running from Nov. 29 to Dec. 21, with performances in the greater Montreal area including Victoriaville, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and L’Assomption.

The cast is made up of 35 professional dancers bringing the timeless score to life.

Ahead of the show, Navarole says for the most part, she doesn’t experience nervousness, although there are many things to be mindful of.

“Before a performance, when we’re in the dressing room getting ready, I’m not nervous at all. I just focus on what I have to do next, to do little touch ups after company class, like hair and makeup, ensure that I have my lipstick on and everything. If I drink water, touch up my lipstick to make sure that everything looks good for the stage. Just make sure my body’s warm enough, so I’ll do lots of stretches, some strengthening exercises. But no real nerves,” Navarole explained.

“I just try to go through the motions, do one thing at a time, put my headpiece on and the costume, and I time it every show, when to put my pointe shoes on and things like that. And sometimes a little nerves creep up when we’re behind the wings before going on stage, but for the most part, I’m not really nervous to perform anymore. Last year, I found I was a little more nervous, but that was probably because it had been a good three, if not more, years since I had the chance to perform on a stage. So now, it’s just something I look forward to, and I truly just live in the moment.

“I’m there to dance and share my joy and my love of dance with everybody else that’s out there watching.”

Work-life balance

Between studying, working, and dancing, Navarole has managed to maintain a work-life balance.

“It’s definitely a difficult balance, but myself as a person, I’m very organized, I enjoy the chaos. It’s a bit, it’s hard for me not to do anything. I need to always be doing something. So if I feel that I’m just doing school or just doing work or just dance, it’s not enough. I need to keep myself busy,” she said.

“The staff here (at the hospital) is very accommodating. My boss in particular, the manager of the floor, works with me to find a schedule that both benefits the floor and myself. And it’s not something I’ve ever found anywhere else.”

Navarole says she’s received support from her coworkers at the hospital.

“The floor here, it’s very much like a family. I’ve had a lot of the staff members come out to watch the shows, come out to support me for various milestones in my life. Like my wedding, for example, a bunch flew overseas to attend that. So it’s a difficult balance, but it’s something I can’t give up, one or the other. So I just make it work,” she said.

What the future holds

Looking ahead, Navarole shared her goals for the future.

“I don’t plan on having anything changed at the moment. I’m still going to try as best as I can to work, dance, and go to school. I can’t take a full course load every semester. I’ve accepted that, and school will always be there. So to me, it’s not the end of the world that it takes me years and years to finish school. Whereas dance, it’s a career that can end in a moment. You can have a really bad injury, and that’s it. So I try to just enjoy every opportunity that comes my way to be able to perform. And I’m going to keep doing it as long as I physically can.

“It is very demanding on the body, mentally as well. Sometimes, some days after rehearsals, you’re just exhausted, but it’s definitely worth it. So for as long as I can manage this crazy schedule, I will keep it up and work as well. It’s a nice release where I can vent with my colleagues and they can vent with me, vice versa. We just come from different worlds, but we’re able to still enjoy each other’s company. And I’ve definitely made friendships here that will last a lifetime.”

One thing is for certain, ballet will always play an essential role in her life.

“Ballet really means everything to me. It’s such a big passion that has turned into even more than that, if there’s a word to describe something that’s even more than a passion. It is my, probably my biggest love. It’s something that I don’t even know if there’s words to describe it. I just love it so much, and just being able to be up on stage and sharing that with whoever else wants to be there and live in the moment with me, it’s a great way to inspire other younger children or maybe future dancers, or maybe even if you don’t like dance. I find there’s always something for everybody,” she said.

“I’m really honoured and lucky to be able to work here and work as a dancer. So, to be a professional dancer, to work, and to study, I feel very lucky.”