TORONTO – After 16 years as principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada – a period when he had to be in peak physical condition – Rex Harrington could be excused for letting himself go in retirement.
But today, nearly a decade after his final jeté, the 50-year-old is still concerned with his health. He stays in shape with weights and cardio training and, late last year, gave up meat.
“I still have a little fish and the odd eggs but I’m hoping to make the transition to vegan completely at some point in the next little while,” he explains.
Harrington says he decided to cut meat out of his diet after watching several documentaries about factory farming and reading about the purported health benefits of a plant-based diet in books by athletes Brendan Brazier and Rich Roll.
“I think most people are blindly unaware of where their food comes from and the torture that goes on in factory farming,” says Harrington. “We really are eating all that pain and fear.”
Harrington cites studies that suggest vegans live an average of 10 years longer and have little or no heart disease. “We are having an obesity problem because of our unhealthy eating and it is only getting worse,” he says.
Get breaking National news
A typical day for Harrington starts with a smoothie of almond milk, protein powder, a banana and fresh fruits. He drinks juices during the day and will eat a three-bean chili, pasta or salad for dinner.
“I’m learning to cook with spices, which is great,” says Harrington, who plans to enroll in vegan cooking lessons. “I feel lighter and more energized when juicing and you don’t get that bloated feeling from sitting down to a big meat meal.”
Eating out is no problem, he insists. Toronto boasts a number of restaurants that cater to the vegan lifestyle, including Harrington’s favourite, Fresh. On the party circuit, he sticks to the plant-based canapés and requests a vegetarian meal.
Does he ever crave a juicy burger or plate of fried chicken? “No because I now see what went into the production of it,” says Harrington, who has also started making different clothing choices.
“It has opened my eyes to the fact that my leather shoes and the trim on my coat all came from an animal,” he says. “Before I never considered the source.”
Harrington, who has a two-year-old Great Dane named Spartacus and a six-year-old German Shepherd named Measha, grew up with pets and says his mother instilled in him a love of animals at an early age.
He is unimpressed with humankind’s fascination with seeing animals in captivity. “Whales belong in the ocean and elephants are not meant to be demeaned in circuses,” he says. “Cirque du Soleil shows you can do a circus without animals.”
Harrington is also quick to counter those who suggest humans were built to consume meat. “Our teeth are meant for chewing, not ripping apart meat like lions,” he says. “Put a kid in a crib with a bunny and an apple and see if he eats the bunny and pats the apple.”
Since retiring, Harrington has managed to stay in the spotlight with roles in musical theatre and a stint as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance Canada. He has also kept his foot in the ballet world, acting as Artist in Residence at the National Ballet of Canada, where he works with dancers and occasionally appears on stage in character roles.
Harrington, who lives in Toronto with his fiancé Bob Hope, is currently rehearsing the company for two upcoming productions.
“I will always miss being on stage,” he admits. “It’s a young man’s game and I have no complaints as it took me all over the world and I am proud to have been rewarded for it in so many ways.”
Does he still dance?
“Only at weddings after a few beers,” Harrington says.
Comments