Royal Winnipeg Ballet
380 Graham Avenue R3C 4K2 Winnipeg, MB, Canada

Thank you to everyone who tuned in to The Nutcracker Suite or supported us in any other way over the past year. It is because of the community around us that we are confident we will return strong in 2021. Whether it be on the stage or on your screens, there will be dance to come, and we are so excited to have you on this journey with us! : Stephan Azulay and Former RWB Company Dancer Sarah Davey (2009-2020), Photo by David Cooper (November 2019)

Wishing you all the best in the new year and we look forward to reconnecting with you in 2021. May your day be merry and bright. Happy New Year from your friends at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

Last chance to make your year-end tax-deductible gift to the RWB this holiday season and support the local arts scene. Visit http://ow.ly/m58850CV3Lg to donate! Your gift will help the RWB keep treasured classics like Nutcracker as bright and vivid as you remember so that it can continue to be shared with Winnipeg families for many years to come. It will also help us continue innovating by developing new creations and by updating costumes and sets for our existing repertoire. : RWB Company Dancers in Nutcracker (December 2018), Photo by David Cooper

"I'm used to being the paint rather than the painter." Leave it to an artist to come up with such a colourful metaphor. Ryan Vetter is one of eight Company dancers jumping into the role of choreographer for Fast Forward. His piece, Heart to Heart: Six Feet Apart, is heavily influenced by the pandemic and the different ways people respond to the developing restrictions. "One of the characters in my piece really struggles with the regulations and is... struggling to find comf...ort in them," he shares. "And the other three characters... are doing really well with it." Watch the penultimate #RWBRewind video to hear how Vetter used two contrasting Strauss lieder to represent his characters' journeys then tune in to our Instagram this evening at 7PM CST (November 25) as Ryan goes live with one of the dancers he cast in his piece, Jaimi Deleau, to discuss working together on Fast Forward. Start readying your questions now. We are grateful for the support of BMO Financial Group as Presenting Sponsor of Fast Forward. by Liam Caines

What a lovely surprise from The Musicians of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra today! We can perfectly picture those waltzing flowers Thank you and Bravo!

Next week, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School will wrap the first leg of their first-ever digital audition tour. Dancers aspiring to join the Ballet Academic, Aspirant, or Teacher Training Programs can partake in a specially designed ballet class over Zoom, under the watchful eye of the talented School Artistic Faculty. Many of these classes this year have been led by RWB Company dancers who were themselves once students of the RWB School. Know someone looking to take their dan...ce training to the next level? Encourage them to register for auditions online at rwb.org/audition Join us on the RWB School's Instagram this Thursday evening (November 26) at 6PM CST as Soloist Alanna McAdie discusses the audition process and shares her experience transitioning full circle from student to teacher within the RWB family. : RWB Company Soloist and RWB School Ballet Academic Program graduate, Alanna McAdie; Photo by David Cooper

Meet the mastermind behind our Fast Forward profiles. In addition to creating his own piece for the workshop, Liam Caines recorded and edited videos of each of the choreographers highlighting their unique creative process and providing a sneak peek at their rehearsals. We truly appreciate working with such multi-faceted artists and hope you are enjoying these behind-the-scenes looks at Fast Forward. What came first - the music or the movement? In Caines' case, it was the fo...rmer. "It paints a picture that is both sort of sad and also inevitable, but also speaks to the beauty of the love that we can feel" he explains of "Final Trawl", which soundtracks his piece. "I wanted to try and take these feelings... from the song and try to express them through movement in my own sort of way." Caines used a recording of "Final Trawl" by Before The Mast, a sea shanty acapella group from New Brunswick, where he was raised. Watch the video find out his special family connection to the music. Thank you to BMO Financial Group for their ongoing support as Presenting Sponsor of Fast Forward. Video by Liam Caines

We are devastated to hear about the loss of the Doris Duke Theatre at Jacob's Pillow. This space holds many dear memories to us and surely to many in the dance community. We look forward to seeing them rebuild.

Alanna Takes Choreography by Storm Peek behind the curtain at the creative process of Alanna McAdie, one of the many first-time choreographers using Fast Forward to expand the horizons of their artistry. Grounded in classical technique and set to symphony movements by Schubert, McAdie's piece (Pomp) was designed to "be very vibrant and lively and use as many dancers as I could." A testament to the times, Pomp is one of the pieces influenced by the dancers' tumultuous seas...on. "During the lockdown and over the past six months," McAdie says, "I really missed doing classical dance and being able to move big." REWIND with us and watch the video to see what big moves McAdie and her colleagues in "Cohort Free" are making. We want to acknowledge the ongoing support of Fast Forward's generous Presenting Sponsor, BMO Financial Group.

"I think we've all been reminded how precious our careers are." Sarah Joan Smith recalls jumping on the opportunity to try something new when André presented the idea of Fast Forward to the Company. She is choreographing for the first time, which she describes as "a really fun experience." Smith describes her piece, called the hidden moments, as a "visual representation" of how "we all have very different ways of walking through similar experiences."... Rewind with us and watch how Sarah Joan channeled the complexity of human sentiment into contemporary dance. We could not have walked through this experience without the support of our Presenting Sponsor for Fast Forward, BMO Financial Group. by Liam Caines

32 hours left to make your year-end tax-deductible gift to the RWB this holiday season! Visit http://ow.ly/xZ7r50CV3KW If we've learned anything this year, it's that we are strongest when we work together. Simply put, we couldn't do what we do without you. Developing world-class dancers and delivering heart-pounding dance takes a lot of work - and funds. Every bit helps. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for any way you find to support the arts and the RWB. : RWB Company Dancers and RWB School Aspirants in La Bayadère (October 2019), Photo by Daniel Crump

Three days remaining to make your year-end tax-deductible gift to the RWB this holiday season! Visit http://ow.ly/z5Qn50CV3KF You can help make dance dreams possible by supporting the operations of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Gifts from our supporters can be put towards costumes, bursaries, studio upgrades, and other elements crucial to an aspiring artist's successful training. For a glimpse into how far your donation can go, consider RWB School alumnus and current Co...rps de Ballet dancer Jaimi Deleau. "I was eight when I sent my first audition tape to the RWB and I was selected to be a Mouse in the Nutcracker," she recalls. "I was accepted into the RWB School’s Professional Division when I was ten and spent the next nine years training and developing as a dancer. " : RWB School Director Stéphane Léonard with RWB School Professional Division Students, Photo by Kristen Sawatzky (February 2020)

Curious what goes into recruiting a professional dancer? Associate Artistic Director, Tara Birtwhistle, chatted virtually with Canada's National Academy of Dance Education to demystify that very process. Check out the CNADE podcast to hear what has - and has not - changed since she first joined the Company at the link in the attached post. (Headshot by Ian McCausland)

What could make shifting from performer to choreographer even harder? Having to take on both roles at once! With social distancing restrictions in place, only dancers who live together are able to do any partner work. So when the song "Breath from Venus" (composed by his friend, Yu Yan) gave Yue Shi the inspiration to tell a sad but hopeful love story through a pas de deux, and he and partner Chenxin Liu were the only eligible dancers in his cohort to perform it, he made the ...daring choice to choreograph on himself. This process carried obvious challenges because, as Yue tells us, "I couldn't see myself. I had to videotape [myself performing] and then see what it looks like." Then, if he had corrections, or spotted elements he wanted to change, he would have to dance and record it anew. Plus "sometimes Chenxin has some different suggestions." Hear more from Yue and get a glimpse of how came together in this #RWBRewind video. We would like to acknowledge the generous support of BMO Financial Group as Presenting Sponsor of Fast Forward. by Liam Caines

We are in awe of the tenacity and generosity of Dr. Douglas MacEwan. This longtime patron of the Arts in Winnipeg was challenged to walk a kilometer a day for 96 days leading up to his 96th birthday yesterday as a fundraising initiative for four local arts organizations. With the support of an anonymous donor, Dr. MacEwan successfully raised $100,000 to distribute equally between The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Manitoba Opera, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, and Winnipeg Symphony O...rchestra. This donation is deeply appreciated. It has been our privilege to have artists, staff, and Royal Winnipeg Ballet School student recipients of the MacEwan family's scholarship accompany Dr. MacEwan on some of his socially-distanced daily walks over the past months. (1) Dr. MacEwan and RWB Principal Conductor Julian Pellicano (walking on behalf of the WSO as their Associate Conductor), Photo supplied by Manitoba Opera (2) Dr. MacEwan with the RWB's $25,000 cheque, Photo supplied by Eleanor Wiebe (3) Selfies of Dr. MacEwan with some of the RWB's walkers earlier this fall, prior to red zone restrictions, all photos supplied

Every artist has a unique creative process influenced by their upbringing, personal style, and a myriad of other factors. Second Soloist Liam Caines produced a series of videos profiling each of the choreographers for Fast Forward: Innovative Dance Inspired by Dancers to illuminate the inspiration behind each of their pieces. Stay with us as we step back through creation and rehearsal. REWIND Peter Lancksweerdt was born in Belgium and trained at the Koninklijke Balletschool... Antwerpen / Royal Ballet School of Antwerp and Conservatoire De Paris Cnsmdp before moving to Canada. He danced with Atlantic Ballet Atlantique Canada for three seasons before joining the RWB in 2017. Lancksweerdt's background inspired his musical selection for a piece he calls "Trois mouvements sur Jacques Brel" after the Francophone Belgian artist. "Even though I am not necessarily someone who would listen to a lot of French songs in my spare time, I really do enjoy the sound of them. And I think they are very artistic with both the musicality and the poetry. The lyrics are very inspiring... I am happy to bring some of my own roots to Canada." Watch to hear more from Peter and get a glimpse of rehearsals of his piece. We are grateful for the support of BMO Financial Group as Presenting Sponsor of Fast Forward.

"Music has been a great inspiration for me to make movement and something that got me through this time." One of the choreographers for Fast Forward with previous experience in this realm, Yosuke Mino sought inspiration from the music and from his colleagues. His piece, WOPE, is set to a reimagined combination of movements from Vivaldi's L’estro armónico, concerto No. 10 in B minor. Interacting and collaborating with his fellow dancers was "very special" to Mino. He says it... was "really nice to actually interact with dancers and create movement on them," and adds that sometimes it "actually projects what I really want to see in me." Check out a sneak peek of what he manifested in the dancers of his cohort. Thank you to BMO Financial Group for their generous and ongoing support as Presenting Sponsor of Fast Forward. by Liam Caines

Our dancers are pressing onwards with their masked, socially-distanced rehearsals for Fast Forward. This choreographic workshop is rooted in the black box theatre style, stripped-down performances with minimal production that allow their artistry to shine through. The dancers who stepped up as choreographers have developed an innovative repertoire of dynamic solos and one pas de deux performed by a real-life couple that adheres strictly to safety guidelines. Fast Forward will feature choreography from Company dancers Alanna McAdie, Sarah Joan Smith, Stephan Azulay, Liam Caines, Peter Lancksweerdt, Yosuke Mino, Yue Shi and Ryan Vetter, and alumni collaborator Larouche. : (1) Larouche, (2) Emilie Lewis, and (3) Katie Bonnell in rehearsal for Larouche's piece; All photos by Stephan Azulay

Today we honor the sacrifices made for our collective freedom. Take a moment of silence to remember those who served and those who continue to serve. Lest we forget.

Strength comes in a variety of forms, including admitting when you need support. These days it is more important than ever to check in with the people you love (from a distance) and lift each other up. Art can both reflect our reality and provide an escape from it. Let us never stop dancing. Happy #InternationalMensDay from some of the #BoysInBallet : Yosuke Mino and Liam Saito by David Cooper (November 2019)

Check out our Instagram tomorrow as Katie Bonnell and Stephan Azulay takeover to tour you inside the studio in honour of World Ballet Day 2020. You don't want to miss this. : (1) Katie Bonnell and (2) Stephan Azulay, Both photos by David Cooper

Original choreography is a longstanding tradition at the RWB. On this date in 1947, the Winnipeg Ballet Company (as we were then known) premiered a satire of pulp thrillers entitled Chapter 13 that was choreographed by our co-founder, Gweneth Lloyd. Jean McKenzie and Reg Hawe in Chapter 13 (1947), Photo courtesy of RWB Archives

One constant in today's ever-changing world is the power of art to unite, uplift, and empower. We may have had to shift the way we rehearse and the way we present ballet to you, but we promise we will never stop creating. Together we will weather this storm and emerge #RWBStrong : Yue Shi, Photo by David Cooper (September 2018)

F A S T F O R W A R D Our dancers returned to the studio at the start of the month with the future of main stage shows uncertain. Under the guidance of Artistic Director & CEO Andre Lewis, they embarked on a project that fuels their creative souls and provides a unique development opportunity to expand their artistic skills. Fast Forward: Innovative Dance Inspired by Dancers is a collection of new creations choreographed by our artists (and one alumni collaborator), inspir...ed by the Fast Forward workshop of yesteryear. Over the next few weeks, we are going to give you a behind the scenes look at the creative processes of our dancer-choreographers and an intimate look at our return to the studios through our social media platforms. This will includes special features that dive deeper into the people behind the art. We are continuing to monitor the escalating COVID-19 situation and are exploring options for how to bring the incredible new creations from the Fast Forward workshop to our audience in a safe and responsible manner. Many of you are curious about ways you can enjoy RWB content digitally and we assure you we are exploring a variety of ways to bring our stage to your screens, including delivering a very special remote presentation to our subscribers in late November. We are grateful for the support of BMO Financial Group as Presenting Sponsor of Fast Forward and Canada Life Co for supporting new technology that will help make our performance virtually accessible. : RWB Corps de Ballet and Fast Forward choreographer Sarah Joan Smith, Photo by David Cooper

This week is a full-circle moment for a handful of our Company dancers. Alanna McAdie, Katie Bonnell, Yayoi Ban, and Jaimi Deleau all graduated from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's Ballet Academic Program and now they are on the other side of the panel assisting with the School's national auditions. These talented artists will each be leading at least one audition class for students aged 13 and above throughout the week as the RWB School virtually visits Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, and Calgary. Members of the School's Artistic faculty will be observing over Zoom to assess the prospective students' potential to follow in these artists' footsteps. : (1) Alanna McAdie by David Cooper, (2) Yayoi Ban by Réjean Brandt, (3) Jaimi Deleau by David Cooper, and (4) Katie Bonnell by Leif Norman

Want to make a difference in the Winnipeg Arts scene? As a non-profit organization, we rely greatly upon the support of our donors, sponsors, and funders. We are hiring two full-time positions to round out our Development team who build and maintain these relationships. Check out the links below and see if one of these roles could be the right fit for you! STEWARDSHIP OFFICER: https://www.rwb.org/who-we-are/careers/stewardship-officer1/ DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR: https://www.rwb.org/who-w/careers/development-coordinator1/

Recently, Literary Hub compiled a list of the top fifty depictions of the infamous Dracula that appeared in film, television, or other recordings. We are thrilled that Senior Ballet Master Johnny Chang's take on the role landed in the top ten! Our full-length ballet version of Dracula, choreographed by Mark Godden, premiered in 1998 and was recorded for cinema in Guy Maddin's award-winning film Dracula: Pages from a Virgin’s Diary. Check out Literary Hub's full list at the link below and read what they had to say about the "beautiful, unnerving" recording and Chang's "stunning" portrayal.

We continue to be blown away by the incredible support demonstrated by our donors. Today, we are celebrating the gift we received this week from Things the beautiful consignment store found in the heart of the city run by a dedicated group of volunteers with a deep love and appreciation for ballet. To learn more about their store and how you can support the RWB by shopping their gorgeous merchandise, visit their website: thingsforrwb.com : (1&3) Artistic Director and CEO André Lewis with members of the Volunteer Committee*, (2&4) Merchandise from Things, All photos by Jocelyn Unrau *We assure you physical distancing of at least 6 feet was enforced in the mask-less photo, despite some individuals appearing closer together due to perspective

Congratulations to our friend Tina Keeper for receiving the high honour of the Distinguished Alumni Award from The University of Winnipeg Alumni Association! Amongst her many contributions to the Arts are a previous tenure on the RWB's Board of Directors and a role co-producing Mark Godden's Going Home Star as an Honorary Witness for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Judith Neumann, President of The University of Winnipeg Alumni Association said, With her lifetime of ...work in the arts, politics and community activism, Tina Keeper is a role model and source of inspiration to Indigenous youth and all Manitobans. She exemplifies the very best of the spirit of The University of Winnipeg." Read more about Tina on The University of Winnipeg website: https://news-centre.uwinnipeg.ca//tina-keeper-to-receive-/ Photo by George Pimentel, courtesy of The University of Winnipeg

Last season, Sarah Davey retired from her career on stage and set a goal to give back to the Arts in an administrative capacity. This year, she accepted a permanent School Administrator position with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, after working a similar term job for the past three years. Davey is also teaching rotational classes with both divisions of the School. On top of these roles, she is busy completing her 4-Year Business degree from The University of Winnipeg with a major in Accounting. Davey recently got engaged to her partner, Kevin, and adopted a Boston Terrier mix named Bubba (both pictured with her). How's that for a silver lining on 2020? Photo by Joey Senft, courtesy of Sarah Davey

The breakout star of our 2020/21 season shoot was our furry friend, Shackleton We owe a debt of gratitude to Aurora Farm for allowing us to work with him. A few fun facts from that day: Shackleton brought his brother (and best bud) Kat with him to the shoot for emotional security A member of the Aurora Farm team was onsite to manage his comfort and stress levels - though he is used to show biz... Shackleton got his own photo approvals, just like our artists... though his had more to do with the way he was held A brave and confident bunny right from birth, Shackleton was named after the explorer who led the first successful expedition to Antarctica Speaking of birth... Shackleton and Kat were born while the RWB was shooting our 80th season material at Aurora Farm. Tara Birtwhistle was amongst the first people to meet them The dollhouse in the third photo was graciously loaned to us for the shoot by one of our patrons (thank you, Jane!) All photos by David Cooper

Had our season gone the way we originally envisioned, today would have been opening night of Septime Weber's Alice (in wonderland). While we are disappointed we could not bring this exciting production to the mainstage - just look at those costumes! - we look forward to sharing the innovative pieces our artists are currently working on in the studios. Prepare to fall in love with dance all over again. We want to thank our patient and generous subscribers and everyone else who has continued to support us as we work tirelessly to get back to the stage. You are the true heroes of this season. : Katie Bonnell as the Queen of Hearts and Elizabeth Lamont as Alice, Photos by David Cooper (November 2019)

We encourage everyone to look into the bold and beautiful small businesses in their community to #SupportLocal this week and beyond. #SBW2020

F A S T F O R W A R D We're reviving a classic event from RWB history to inspire our artists and embrace the innovation necessary in an era of distanced dancing. Stay tuned for more details as the Fast Forward Choreographic Workshop unfolds. [Fast Forward brochure from 1994 courtesy of RWB Archives]