Exploitation at the Ballet: The Case That Redefined Justice in Canada | One Great Case Podcast

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When we think of ballet, we think of grace, discipline, and the pursuit of perfection, not precedent-setting litigation. But within the walls of elite ballet institutions, the pursuit of perfection can blur into something darker: a culture of hierarchy, obedience, and silence.
That silence is what made this case possible.

Behind the curtain of one of Canada’s most prestigious ballet schools, a story unfolded that had nothing to do with art and everything to do with power. When the truth finally surfaced, the women seeking justice faced an even greater challenge…a justice system unequipped to name their harm.

This wasn’t just a story about a predator hiding in plain sight. It was a reckoning with how the legal system lags behind the realities of digital-age exploitation and gender-based harm. What happens when centuries-old torts can’t capture the trauma of having your body and trust violated on camera?

That’s where lawyer Gillian Hnatiw stepped in. As a leading advocate for victims of gender-based violence, she was able to recognize the deeper systemic failure beneath the case, a legal framework unprepared to address modern forms of harm.

In this episode, Gillian unpacks the complexities of the case and the creative lawyering it demanded. She also reflects on how the case reshaped the legal understanding of gender-based harm, and why its lessons remain urgent in an era where technology keeps outpacing the law.

Things You’ll Learn in This Episode;

How the Royal Winnipeg Ballet class action broke new ground in recognizing psychological and gender-based harm from non-consensual image taking and sharing.

Why arts institutions can enable abuse through culture, not just conduct, and how silence becomes complicity.

The creative legal strategy behind a case with no clear precedent, from using privacy torts to invoking occupiers’ liability and breach of confidence.

Why this case signals the next frontier of justice — as the law races to catch up to digital realities like voyeurism, deepfakes, and AI-generated abuse.

Guest Bio

Gillian is one of Canada's leading advocates for victims of gender-based violence. Although that is not her only area of practice, she maintains a diverse litigation practice at her eponymous law firm located in Toronto, with a national reach. Gillian is talented, fearless, hugely empathetic, and a huge risk-taker. You can learn all about her work on her website, gillianandco.ca.

About Your Host

Areta Lloyd practices estate and trust litigation, with a particular focus on capacity litigation. She participates in public speaking, mentoring junior lawyers and presenting courses on the topics of estates law, health law, and law practice management. Areta has written for several publications and wrote a column for the Alzheimer caregiver website ALZlive.com.

About This Podcast

A podcast about law to learn more about people. Each episode, you’ll be entertained with a behind the scenes look at the people and facts that drove a case.

Some will make you more optimistic, others may leave you cynical. Either way, our aim is that you’ll walk away with a great story.

Hosted by Areta Lloyd, a litigation lawyer in Toronto, Canada.

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