RWB Touring Book

“Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s dancers know how to soar beyond the footlights.”-Toronto Star

“The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is one of the most accomplished and appealing ballet companies in the world.” -Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

“Canada’s oldest ballet company looks new all over again”-Dance International

“It’s hard to beat this kind of pedigree, and the Royal Winnipeg (Ballet) never fails to deliver a balance of technical virtuosity, lyricism, and artistry.” -The Advocate Weekly

CANADA’S ROYAL WINNIPEG BALLET

A leading cultural institution, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet has earned a national and international reputation for its impassioned artistry and technical virtuosity, and has received widespread critical acclaim for extraordinary performances of diverse classical and contemporary repertoires.

Founded in 1939, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet holds the distinction of being the first and only ballet company in North America to hold the “Royal” designation and is also one of the oldest ballet companies on the continent. In 1953, RWB received its royal title, the first granted under the reign of Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet first began to tour Canada in 1945; it completed its firstAmerican tour in 1954. In 1975, the RWB toured Israel and was the first Canadian ballet to visit the country. For its 70th anniversary, the RWB returned to Israel and was greeted by audiences in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa with resounding accolades. In 2014, RWB toured China as part of its 75th Anniversary Season. The RWB spends anywhere from five to 20 weeks a year on the road, performing in centres large and small. The RWB has performed in the United States, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and in every Canadian province.

Over time, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet has expanded its repertoire to include bold, innovative new works that embody creative excellence and engage audiences in an ongoing commitment to the vitality of this unique art form. Ballets such as The Handmaid’s Tale based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, Dracula, Nutcracker, Moulin Rouge® –The Ballet and Going Home Star – A Story of Truth and Reconciliation are great examples of the fine balance between the classical traditions and the boldness of contemporary ballet, which in turn has given this ensemble of artists a unique style. Now celebrating 75 years, the energy and exuberance of its versatile dancers are Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s enduring signature.

ANDRÉ LEWIS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Approaching nearly 38 years with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, 17 of them as Artistic Director, André Lewis has spent the majority of his career with Canada’s first professional dance company. A native of Gatineau, Québec, Lewis began his dance training in Ottawa before being accepted into the Professional Division of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 1975. He joined the RWB Company in 1979 where he enjoyed an accomplished career as a dancer for over ten years.

In 1996, Lewis was appointed Artistic Director of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Since then he has been the driving force behind the new and innovative works that have dramatically rejuvenated the Company’s repertoire. Lewis has commissioned numerous blockbuster ballets such as Mark Godden’s Dracula in 1998 and Moulin Rouge ® - The Ballet in 2009. He was instrumental in the 1999 creation of a new Nutcracker for the Company and in 2002, Lewis brought to Winnipeg the thrilling and passionate Carmina Burana by Argentinean choreographer Mauricio Wainrot. In 2012, Lewis and Atlanta Ballet artistic director John McFall co-commissioned a new creation by celebrated choreographer Twyla Tharp titled Twyla Tharp’s The Princess & The Goblin. In 2013, Lewis commissioned another outstanding new creation in conjunction with New York choreographer Lila York. The full-length ballet The Handmaid’s Tale is a bold adaptation of the novel of the same name by Governor General Award-winning Canadian author, Margaret Atwood. In 2014, Lewis and RWB executive director Jeff Herd commissioned the ballet, Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation with the support of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

In addition to his position as artistic director, Lewis is a sought-after ballet instructor and has guest taught throughout Europe and Japan.

PHOTO: REJÉAN BRANDT PHOTOGRAPHY

JEFF HERD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jeff Herd has over 40 years of experience producing, managing and touring stage productions and companies across Canada, the United States and in Europe. He began his ambitious career at the age of 15 as an apprentice at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg. In 1973 Herd joined Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet as production stage manager, a position he held until 1980.

In the 1980’s Herd travelled throughout Canada working in the field of design and production at a variety of organizations including the Globe Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Theatre Calgary, Alberta Ballet, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, the Expo 1986 World Festival, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. From 1987 to 1989, he was production manager at The National Ballet of Canada, where he worked closely with the artistic and technical teams to produce local performances as well as tours throughout Canada and North America. From 1991 to 1997 Herd’s career led him back to the RWB where he fulfilled the role of Production Director. During that time he directed the production of many new works including Antony Tudor’s Lilac Garden and Mark Godden’s Angels in the Architecture, and created the lighting design for many of the RWB’s productions.

In 1997 Herd accepted the position of Company Manager for Cirque du Soleil’s largest and most well-known production “O “ based at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. In his capacity as company manager, Herd successfully transitioned “O” from its initial creation phase into a fully operational and sustainable production. After “O”, Jeff created the “technical and show support department” for Cirque Las Vegas including the areas of technical strategy, human resources recruitment and training, global purchasing and procurement and consistent maintenance of the shows. Herd had an active role in the creation of the Resident Shows Division at Cirque du Soleil which centralized the support departments in order to accommodate the expansion of Las Vegas productions.

Herd’s work at Cirque du Soleil led to an opportunity in Belgium and in 2007 he left Cirque to accept the position of General Director at Dragone, a creations and productions company. Founder Franco Dragone, who created many of the original Cirque shows, recruited Herd based on his extensive knowledge in the field of production.

Now back in Winnipeg with his wife and two young children, Jeff Herd is bringing his diverse experience and training to the position of Executive Director at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

PHOTO: REJÉAN BRANDT PHOTOGRAPHY

SOARING WORLD–WIDE ARGENTINABuenos AiresRosarioARUBAOrnajestadAUSTRALIAAdelaideBrisbaneCanberraMelbourneSydneyBERMUDAHamiltonBRAZILBraziliaRio de JaneiroSão PauloCANADAALBERTABanffBarrheadCalgaryEdmontonFort McMurrayGrande PrairieHigh RiverLacombeLethbridgeLloydminsterMedicine HatRed DeerBRITISHCOLUMBIACampbell RiverChilliwackCourtneyCranbrookDawson CreekDuncanKamloopsKelownaKimberlyKitimatNanaimoNelsonNew WestminsterPentictonPort AlberniPrince GeorgePrince RupertRevelstokeTerraceTrailVancouverVernonVictoriaMANITOBABrandonDauphinFlin Flon

ManitouThe PasThompsonVirdenWinnipegNEW BRUNSWICKBathurstCampbelltonEdmundstonFrederictonMonctonSackvilleSaint JohnWoodstockNEWFOUNDLANDCorner BrookGanderGrand FallsSt. John’sStephenvilleNORTHWESTTERRITORIESYellowknifeNOVA SCOTIAAntigonishGlace BayHalifaxNew GlasgowPort HawkesburySydneyTruroWolfvilleYarmouthONTARIOBarrieBellevilleBrantfordBrockvilleChathamCobourgCornwallDeep RiverDrydenEtobicokeFort WilliamGuelphHamiltonKenoraKingstonKitchenerLindsayLondonMarkhamMississaugaNepeanNiagara FallsNiagara-On-The-LakeNorth BayOakvilleOrillia

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ENGLANDLiverpoolLondonFRANCEParisGERMANYBerlinFrankfurtFriedrichshafenKarlsuheLeverkusenLudwigshafenNeussStuttgartGREECEAthensCorfuThessalonikiHONG KONGHUNGARYBudapestISRAELCaesareaHaifaJerusalemTel AvivITALYGenoaMonza (Milan)Torino (Turin)TriesteVeronaJAPANFukuokaHamamatsuHiroshimaKawaguchiKumamotoKyotoMatsudoNagoyaOsakaSapporoTokyoYokohamaJAMAICAKingstonLIECHTENSTEINSchaanMALAYSIAKuala LumpurMEXICOGuadalajaraGuanajuatoJalapaMexico CityPerubloTHE NETHERLANDSArnhemDen Haag

NICARAGUAManaguaNORTH IRELANDBelfastPANAMAPanamaPEOPLE’S REPUBLICOF CHINABeijing ChongqingGuangzhouHanqzhou Ji`nanMacauNanjingQingdaoShanghaiShenzhen YueYangWuhanPERULimaPHILIPPINESManilaPUERTO RICOSan JuanREPUBLIC OF CHINAKaohsiungTaichungTaipeiREPUBLICOF SINGAPORESingaporeRUSSIAMoscowSt. PetersburgSCOTLANDGlasgowEdinburghSWITZERLANDLausanneZugTHAILANDBangkokUKRAINEKievOdessaUNITED STATESOF AMERICAALABAMAAnnistonAuburnBirminghamDecaturFlorenceHuntsvilleMontgomeryMonroeOpelikaTuscaloosa

ALASKAAnchorageARIZONAPhoenixTempeTucsonARKANSASLittle RockCALIFORNIABakersfieldBerkeleyChina LakeClaremontCupertinoEscondidoFresnoFullertonLancasterLong BeachLos AngelesMarjorieNorthridgeOaklandOceansidePalm DesertPalm SpringsPasadenaSacramentoSan GabrielSan Luis ObispoSanta BarbaraSanta CruzTorrenceCOLORADOAvonBoulderDenverFort CollinsPuebloCONNECTICUTBridgeportHartfordKentStorrsDELAWAREWilmingtonDISTRICT OF COLUMBIAWashingtonFLORIDABoca RatonClearwaterDaytona BeachFort LauderdaleFort MyersGainsvilleJacksonvilleLakelandMelbourneMiamiMiami Beach

SOARING WORLD–WIDE NaplesOcalaOrlandoSOARING WORLD–WIDE581 cities & 44 countries in which the RWB has dancedcontinued...Panama CityPensacolaSt. PetersburgSarasotaTallahasseeTampaWest Palm BeachGEORGIAAtlantaSavannahThomasvilleILLINOISAltonAuroraCarbondaleChampaign-UrbanaChicagoDecaturDeKalbEvanstonGalesburgGlen EllynMaywoodNormalOakwoodParisPeoriaQuincyRockfordSkokieSpringfieldSt. CharlesUniversity ParkUrbanaWheatonINDIANABloomingtonCornersvilleEast ChicagoElkhartEvansvilleFort WayneFranklinIndianapolisMuncieRichmondSt. Mary ofthe WoodSouth BendWabashWest LafayetteIOWA

AmesBurlingtonCedar FallsCedar RapidsClintonDavenportDes MoinesEstervilleFort MadisonGrinnell CollegeIowa CityMuscatinOttumwaSioux CityStorm LakeWaverlyKANSASEmporiaHaysIolaLawrenceLevenworthManhattanSalinaTopekaWichitaKENTUCKYDanvilleLouisvilleMeridianRichmondLOUISIANABaton RougeLafayetteLake CharlesMunroeNatchitochesNew OrleansShreveportMAINEOronoPortlandMARYLANDBaltimoreRockvilleMASSACHUSETTSAmherstBostonFranklinJacob’s PillowLowellWorchesterMICHIGANAdrianAnn ArborBattle CreekBay CityColdwaterDetroitEast Lansing

FlintGrand RapidsKalamazooMarquetteMount ClemensMuskegonPort HuronRochesterSaginawSanduskyTraverse CityMINNESOTAAlberta LeaBemidjiDuluthFairboultGrand RapidsHibbingLittle FallsMankatoMinneapolisMoorheadMorrisNorthfieldOwatonnaRed WingRochesterSt. CloudSt. JosephSt. PaulMISSISSIPPIColumbusJacksonOxfordTupeloMISSOURICape GirardeauColumbiaJoplinKansas CitySt. LouisMONTANABillingsBozemanMissoulaNEBRASKALincolnOmahaWayneNEVADARenoNEW HAMPSHIREDurhamConcordNEW JERSEYMontclairNew BrunswickNewarkPonomaPrinceton

NEW MEXICOLos CrucesNEW YORKAlbanyBinghamptonBronxBrooklynBuffaloCorningGreenvale,Long IslandHuntington,Long IslandJamestownMiddletownNew YorkNorthport,Long IslandOneontaPurchaseSchenectadySouthampton,Long IslandStony BrookSyracuseUticaWest PointWhite PlainsNORTHCAROLINAAshevilleBooneChapel HillCharlotteDurhamGreensboroGreenvilleHigh PointPembrokeRaleighRock HillWilmingtonNORTH DAKOTABismarckFargoGrand ForksMinotOHIOAkronAshtabulaAthensColumbusCuyahonga FallsDaytonMarionOxfordToledoWarrenOREGONCarvallis

EugeneMedfordPortlandPENNSYLVANIAAltoonaBethel ParkErieGrove CityIndianaPhiladelphiaPittsburghReadingSelinsgroveUniversity ParkWestchesterWilliamsportYorkRHODE ISLANDProvidenceSOUTHCAROLINACharlestonColumbiaDurhamGreenvilleGreenwoodRock HillSpartanburgSOUTH DAKOTAAberdeenRapid CitySioux FallsTENNESSEEKnoxvilleMemphisTEXASAmarilloAustinBeaumontCollege StationDallasDentonFort WorthGalvestonHoustonKerrvilleLaredoLubbockNacogdochesOrangeRichardsonSan AntonioTempleTylerVictoriaWichita FallsUTAHLoganSalt Lake CityVERMONT

BurlingtonVIRGINIACharlottesvilleFairfaxHamptonNewport NewsNorfolkPetersburgWilliamsburgWASHINGTONBellinghamCheneyEverettOlympiaPullmanRichardSeattleSpokaneTacomaWausauYakimaWEST VIRGINIAHuntingtonMorgantownWISCONSINFond du LacGreen BayJanesvilleKenoshaKohlerLa CrosseMadisonManitowacMilwaukeeRacineWasauWawatogaWYOMINGCheyenneVENEZUELACaracasWALESCardiff

TOURING INFORMATION

Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet first began to tour Canada in 1945; then completed its first American tour in 1954. Today, the Company spends between five to 20 weeks a year on the road, performing in centres both large and small.

The average touring Company is approximately 40 people, including 26 dancers, 7 to 8 technical crew, and 4 to 6 staff and management. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet has developed touring infrastructure, of its over 50 year history of touring, which allows most of our productions to be setup and performed on the same day.

GENERAL TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Optimal performing area is 48 feet (14.5 m) wide, by 50 feet (15 m) deep. However, smaller spaces can be accommodated with prior consultation with the RWB’s production department.• The stage should have a minimum of 28 working line sets available, relatively evenly distributed from the smoke pocket to a minimum distance of 40 feet (12 m) upstage of the smoke pocket.• The battens should be a minimum width of 55 feet (16.75 m), made of 1- ½ inch I.D. Schedule 40 steel pipe (or equivalent).• Each line set must be capable of safely carrying 1000 lbs above pipe weight,and must travel to a minimum height of 55 feet (16.75 m) above the stage floor.• Free wing space of 15 feet (4.5 m) each side, offstage of the legs with 22 feet (6.5 m) of overhead clearance unobstructed as well as an unobstructed upstage cross over. Ideally there should also be a scenery dock for storage and preparation of props and scenery.

DRESSING ROOMS

We require, at minimum, one male and one female dressing room capable of accommodating 26 to 40 dancers in total.

PHOTO: VINCE PAHKALA

Val Caniparoli’s A CINDERELLA STORYBased on themes by Richard Rodgers

CHOREOGRAPHY: Val CaniparoliMUSIC ARRANGEMENTS & ORCHESTRATIONS: Ron Paley

SCENIC AND COSTUME DESIGN: Sandra WoodallLIBRETTO: Sheryl Flatow & Val Caniparoli

LIGHTING AND SOUND DESIGN: Alexander V. NicholsASSISTANT TO THE SCENIC DESIGNER: Tom Richardson

NUMBER OF DANCERS:26LENGTH: 2 hours, 11 minutes

“The world premiere of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s full-length Cinderella is a runaway hit. The delighted audience erupted in cheers after the first act with an ovation usually reserved for a curtain call.” Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail, October 23, 2004

Remember when families gathered around the television set on a Saturday night? That era, the 1950’s, is the setting for Val Caniparoli’s A Cinderella Story, a retro retelling of your favourite fairy tale.

Experience a new way to tell a familiar story as electric choreography melds with Richard Rodgers’ music, all arranged for a live jazz orchestra by legendary Winnipeg bandleader Ron Paley.

California-based choreographer Val Caniparoli’s work has been seen around the globe with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet and San Francisco Ballet.

Production Benefactors: The Asper Foundation, The Winnipeg Foundation, The Cipryk Family, Gerry Grey, James Morden, Martin Weinberg & Family

World Premiere (Royal Winnipeg Ballet): October 20, 2004

TARA BIRTWHISTLE , GIUSEPPE DE RIGUERRO AND THE COMPANY PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

CARMINA BURANA

CHOREOGRAPHY: Mauricio WainrotMUSIC: Carl Orff “Carmina Burana”

SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Carlos GallardoLIGHTING DESIGN: David Morrison

NUMBER OF DANCERS:26LENGTH: 1 hour 3 minutes

“The unforgettable Carmina Burana was a boiling cauldron of choreography”Garth Buchholtz, The Winnipeg Free Press, May 3, 2002

“By turns capricious, romantic, lusty and often reminiscent of youthful folk dancing, it’s a cornucopia of movement and carefully staged tableaux” Pat St. Germain, Winnipeg Sun, May 3, 2002

It must have been spring when composer Carl Orff discovered the lusty manuscripts of defrocked monks who had traded in their vows for concerns of the flesh. Orff was so inspired that he created Carmina Burana – music that has become known as his masterpiece.

Argentinean dancemaker Mauricio Wainrot has matched the exuberance of Carl Orff’s music with sensual and powerful choreography. A true feast for the senses!

World Premiere (Royal Ballet of Flanders): 1998 Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: May 1, 2002

TARA BIRTWHISTLE AND THE COMPANY PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

DRACULA

CHOREOGRAPHY: Mark GoddenMUSIC: Gustav Mahler (excerpts from Symphonies #1, #2, #9)

SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Paul DaigleLIGHTING DESIGN: David Morrison

NUMBER OF DANCERS:26LENGTH: 2 hours 11 minutes

“… an original, made-in-Canada, full-length story ballet that combines wit, intelligence, theatricality and fine dancing in one very entertaining package.” Michael Crabb, Arts Today, October 26, 1998

“Mark Godden’s Dracula is a ballet that will live on. This is Gothic ballet at its most appealing. From opening prologue to final scene, there is rumour of longevity to the production, a hint of the magic that makes the myths of Dracula so immortal.” The Edmonton Journal, March 3, 1999

“I was utterly seduced… I’ve been bitten.” Robert Enright, CBC Radio, October 23, 1998

Burned into the public psyche over the past one hundred years, the name Dracula evokes dread and horror - but, most of all, fascination. A legend, a classic novel, the subject of countless movies since the earliest days of celluloid - Dracula is brought to life once again with Mark Godden’s inventive choreography. Dracula marked the first time that Godden created a full-length ballet. Complete with flying bats, dancing gargoyles and mysterious transformations, Mark Godden’s Dracula is contemporary ballet at its atmospheric finest.


TARA BIRTWHISTLE AND JAIME VARGAS PHOTO: DAVID COOPER

PETER PAN

CHOREOGRAPHY: Jorden MorrisMUSIC: Sir Benjamin Britten, Eric Coates, Sir Edward Elgar,

Ron Goodwin, Montague PhillipsSCENERY & COSTUME DESIGN: ANNE ARMIT

LIGHTING DESIGN: Bill WilliamsASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGN: Robert Mravnik

FIGHT DIRECTOR: Daniel Ford BeavisFLYING SEQUENCES: Flying by Foy


“If happy thoughts and a sprinkling of fairy dust really were all you needed to fly, audiences attending the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s performance of Peter Pan would be airborne about three minutes into Act I.” - Natasha Gautier, Ottawa Citizen, January 2009

Perfect for families and anyone who never wants to grow up, Peter Pan is a magical flight, filled with family entertainment, fantasy and marvelous thrills.

Peter Pan tells the story of Peter, who invites Wendy to Neverland to be the mother of his gang of Lost Boys. Many adventures ensue, including the near-death of Tinker Bell and a climactic confrontation with Peter’s nemesis, the pirate Captain Hook.

World Premiere (Royal Winnipeg Ballet): December 22, 2006

VANESSA LAWSON PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

ROMEO & JULIETCHOREOGRAPHY: Rudi van Dantzig

MUSIC: Serge ProkofievSCENERY & COSTUME DESIGN: Toer van Schayk

LIGHTING DESIGN: Nicholas CernovitchNUMBER OF DANCERS:26

LENGTH: 2 hours 29 minutes

“Rudi van Dantzig’s inventive choreography is as fresh and engaging as it was in its RWB première in 1981.” Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press, 2014

“The balcony scene delivers what we’ve come to expect from a traditional Romeo + Juliet, but still manages to feel fresh.” Salena Kitteringham, Edmonton Journal, 2014

What is more beautiful than falling in love for the first time...again. Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy is given a beautiful and thought-provoking telling in this masterpiece of dance and drama. The splendour of sixteenth-century Verona is recreated by the magnificent sets and costumes of Toer van Schayk in this full-length ballet that demands the most of a dancer’s personal capacity to create a role.

World Premiere (Dutch National Ballet): 1965Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: September 30, 1981

RWB COMPANY IN ROMEO + JULIET PHOTO: DAVID COOPER

MOULIN ROUGE® – THE BALLETCHOREOGRAPHER: Jorden Morris

MUSIC: Various ComposersCOSTUME DESIGN: Anne Armit & Shannon Lovelace

SET & PROPERTIES DESIGN: Andrew BeckLIGHTING DESIGN: Pierre Lavoie

DRAMATURGE: Rick Skene MAKE-UP DESIGN: Melissa Gibson

NUMBER OF DANCERS:26 LENGTH: 2 hours, 15 minutes

“I am willing to bet that this show, which played to sold-out houses in Ottawa, will continue to wow audiences wherever it tours.” - Le Droit, 2010

“Moulin Rouge ®- The Ballet is a triumph ... stunningly beautiful ... it’s moments like this that make ballet fans out of people who think they don’t like ballet.” - Atlanta InTown, 2010 (Atlanta Ballet)

Moulin Rouge® – The Ballet has been seen by over 100,000 people across North America and has elicited cheers and ovations wherever it tours. Along with a rousing French themed soundtrack, the ballet features high-kicking choreography and a passionate story of love, ambition and heartbreak.

Turn of the century Paris … a city of exquisite contradiction. The heady elixir of personal freedom bred lifestyles both reckless and addictive. Drawn to Paris by the city’s passion, a flame fuelled by the hearts of lovers and the souls of poets, Matthew and Nathalie tempt fate as they seek love and destiny at the infamous cabaret – The Moulin Rouge®.


In the spirit of the Moulin Rouge of Paris, Moulin Rouge® is a registered trademark of Moulin Rouge S.A.

ELIZABETH LAMONT, AMAR DHALIWAL AND THE COMPANY PHOTO: VINCE PAHKALA

THE HANDMAID’S TALEBased on the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

CHOREOGRAPHY:Lila YorkMUSIC:James McMillan, ArvoPärt, and others

COSTUME DESIGN:Liz VandalSCENIC DESIGN:Clifton Taylor

ASSOCIATE SCENIC DESIGN:Anshuman BhatiaLIGHTING DESIGN: Clifton Taylor &Anshuman Bhatia

PROJECTIONS DESIGN: Sean Nieuwenhuis NUMBER OF DANCERS:26

LENGTH: 1 Hour 55 minutes

“York’s vision breathes new life into a venerable Canadian classic while literally embodying the story’s dark forces, with its sobering message as timely — and relevant — as ever” – Winnipeg Free Press

Artistic Director André Lewis commissioned this bold adaptation of Canadian author Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel of the same name. Acclaimed New York-based choreographer Lila York preserves the work’s prophetic spirit and human story, creating a powerful and poignant interpretation of the gripping tale. Deftly attuned to highlighting the narrative’s dark romanticism, forbidden desires and domineering regime, York’s dance drama transports audiences, with thrilling effect, to a society where human rights have been stripped away. Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2015, is brought to life by the extraordinary athleticism and theatricality of the RWB dancers, set to a pastiche score.

World Premiere (Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet): October 16, 2013

AMANDA GREEN AND THE COMPANY PHOTO: VINCE PAHKALA

SWAN LAKECHOREOGRAPHY: Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov

MUSIC: Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskySTAGED BY: Galina Yordanova

SCENERY & COSTUME DESIGN: Peter FarmerLIGHTING DESIGN: Nicholas Cernovitch


Swan Lake is perhaps the best-known classical ballet of all time. The work also enjoys the prestige of being one of Tchaikovsky’s three full-length ballets, with Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty completing the trio. Surprisingly, however, Swan Lake was not a success when it first appeared in Russia in 1877. This 1895 version with choreography by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov fared better.

Swan Lake is the story of Odette, a princess who has been turned into a swan by the wicked von Rothbart. Each night, Odette and her companions enjoy a few precious hours as human beings. On one such occasion she meets and falls in love with Prince Siegfried, who promises to rescue her. Their plans are foiled by von Rothbart who transforms his daughter Odile to resemble Odette in order to trick the Prince. However, not even evil von Rothbart can destroy their love, for Odette and Siegfried are reunited in the hereafter.

World Premiere: Maryinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg - January, 1895 Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: May, 1987

THE COMPANY PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

NUTCRACKERCHOREOGRAPHY: Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon

MUSIC: Pyotr Ilyich TchaikovskyCOSTUME DESIGN: Paul Daigle

SCENIC DESIGN: Brian PerchalukLIGHTING DESIGN: Michael J. Whitfield

NUMBER OF DANCERS:26 LENGTH: 2 hours, 4 minutes

“A captivating fantasy…rapturously romantic.” Winnipeg Free Press, 2011

“Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker is Picture Perfect.” - The Georgia Strait

This sparkling holiday tradition is a festive feast for the senses with enchanting costumes, timeless choreography and a brilliant score by Tchaikovsky. Nutcracker features endearing Canadian scenes like a snowy pond hockey game and a battle on Parliament Hill.

What could be more fun for the family than to join young Clara’s Christmas fantasy, where toys come to life, the Sugar Plum Fairy spreads her magic and a mischievous bear steals the Christmas pudding. A holiday classic for the whole family!

World Premiere (Royal Winnipeg Ballet): Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, December 2, 1999

STUDENTS FROM THE RWB SCHOOL AND THE COMPANY PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

LUMINOUSCHOREOGRAPHY: Peter Quanz

MUSIC: Marjan MozetichCOSTUME DESIGN: Anne Armit

LIGHTING DESIGN: Robert MravnikNUMBER OF DANCERS:8

LENGTH: 23 minutes

“Quanz holds nothing back in this ballet of enormous depth and beauty” - Holly Harris, Uptown Magazine, June 6, 2012

From the internationally-acclaimed choreographer and RWB alumnus Peter Quanz, whose In Tandem wowed New York audiences at the Guggenheim Museum in 2009 comes a gorgeous new work that explores romantic relationships at different stages of life. Playful, intimate and poignant, the moonlit ballet is “by far the finest new work commissioned by Hong Kong Ballet … [in] two decades…” (The Financial Times, 2010).

The award-winning Quanz has created for the world’s leading ballet companies including Kirov Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Britain’s Royal Ballet.

Luminous was first developed at the National Choreographers Initiative, Molly Lynch, Director, presented by Irvine Barclay Theatre, July 2010.

World Premiere (Hong Kong Ballet): September 24, 2010Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: May 9, 2012

THE VERTIGINOUS THRILL OF EXACTITUDE

CHOREOGRAPHY: William ForsytheMUSIC: Franz Schubert, Allegro Vivace from Symphony #9 in C Major

COSTUME DESIGN: Stephen GallowayLIGHTING DESIGN: William Forsythe

NUMBER OF DANCERS:5LENGTH:11 minutes

“The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude was speedy and full of adrenaline, showcasing the dancers’ ability and technical mastery” - 204 (blog), 2014 Set to the final movement of Schubert’s Symphony #9, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude displays all of the traditional components of classical dance: tutus, pointe shoes, virtuosity and lyricism. From the full-length Six Counter Points, this ballet for three women and two men provides a breathtaking display of classical technique that serves to illustrate the way in which Forsythe sees the ballet vocabulary as part of a range of choreographic possibilities.

An affectionate homage to Petipa and Balanchine in its courtly partnering, structure and speedy, precise allegro work, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude nonetheless belongs to present time in its celebration of the dancers’ ability to make technical difficulty into a triumph of physical mastery and in its self-aware embodiment of a whole tradition of dance.

World Premiere (Frankfurt Ballet): January 20, 1996Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: November 7, 2012

AMANDA GREEN AND TRISTAN DOBROWNEY IN LUMINUS PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

HIKARIZATTOCHOREOGRAPHY: Itzik Galili

MUSIC: Percossa “Hikarizatto” (Niels van Hoorn and Janwillem van der Poll)

COSTUME & LIGHTING DESIGN: Itzik GaliliNUMBER OF DANCERS:20

LENGTH: 20 minutes

“Galili creates kaleidoscopic dazzle with varied lifts, sky-high kicks and male-female entanglements happening simultaneously on different depth planes.” -Winnipeg Free Press

“The audience reaction – whistles, yells, standing ovation – was absolutely deserved.” -Winnipeg Free Press

“I am interested in dance that does not merely refer to itself. Art is a way of gaining insight into human existence. We look at art and see our inner self, the possibilities we have never realized, the dark secrets we want to hide. Of all art forms, dance is the most true to life.” – Itzik Galili

The North American Premiere of Hikarizatto was the first work by Tel Aviv born choreographer Itzik Galili, performed by the RWB. Rhythmic drumming accompanies Galili’s trademark off-balance, hyper-kinetic movement.

World Premiere: Stuttgart Ballet, Stuttgart, Germany: April 2004Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: May 9, 2007

JO-ANN SUNDERMEIER AND JAIME VARGAS PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

SVENGALI Based on the novel Trilby by George du Maurier

CREATED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY: Mark GoddenMUSIC: Sergei Rachmaninov, Franz Liszt, Philip Glass, Richard Strauss,

Amsterdam Klezmer Band, Flying Bulgar Klezmer BandCOSTUME DESIGN: Paul DaigleSCENIC DESIGN: Andrew Beck

LIGHTING DESIGN: Pierre LavoieBASED ON A FILM TREATMENT BY: Guy Maddin


“Svengali is beautiful, challenging and a visual turn-on. The ballet is, simply, a triumph, danced with explosive discipline by this talented company.”-Robert Enright, CBC

“It’s the subtleties that make this work so interesting - unexpected darts, flops and twists that punctuate more classical technique.”- Jenna French, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, November 2011

Mark Godden’s choreographic genius brings us an explosive new look at the original master of mind control. This RWB creation takes its inspiration from a film treatment born of the fevered imagination of international film sensation Guy Maddin.

Yearning for public recognition, Svengali escapes the repression of his mother’s ballet studio to a decadent world reminiscent of mid-century Weimar, where he finds the beautiful and malleable young dancer, Trilby. Under Svengali’s entrancing influence, Trilby is transformed into the darling of the ballet world, but her star ultimately rises beyond Svengali’s powerful emotional grasp.

This complex psychological drama will unfold with riveting choreography by the creative powerhouse behind RWB’s Dracula, and shades of Maddinesque irreverence, as Svengali’s family secrets and sinister purposes are revealed.


THE ECSTASY OF RITA JOE From the Original Play by George Ryge

CHOREOGRAPHY: Norbert VesakMUSIC: Ann Mortifee

LYRICS AND DIALOGUE: George RygaSTAGED BY: Arnold Spohr

COSTUMES AND LIGHTING DESIGN: Norbert VesakORCHESTRATION: Earl Stafford

AUDIO DIRECTION: Philip KeatlyLENGTH: 40 minutes

“It’s said that when you’re being swallowed by an ocean, your whole life, both the good and the bad, flashed before your eyes. And so it is with Rita Joe, an aboriginal girl about to be swallowed up in a sea of city faces – her dreams and memories jumbled together in an unreal reality.”

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe is an adaptation of George Ryga’s play of the same name. It is a deeply moving ballet centering around a young Aboriginal woman who leaves the reservation in the hope of finding a better life in the city. With little schooling and a poor grasp of the English language, Rita Joe cannot support herself. She quickly becomes entrapped in a desolate world of prostitution and drug addiction.

The Ecstasy of Rita Joe was originally commissioned in 1971 by the Manitoba Indian Brotherhood Association to mark the centenary of the signing of Indian Treaties Number 1 and 2.

World Premiere (Royal Winnipeg Ballet): July 27, 1971 in Ottawa

BELONGCONCEPTION & CHOREOGRAPHY: Norbert Vesak

MUSIC: Syrinx ORIGINAL COSTUMES & LIGHTING: Norbert Vesak

NUMBER OF DANCERS:2LENGTH:8minutes

Award-winning Belong is a sensual, dramatic and intriguing work characterized by fluid, expressive movement. This pas de deux, from the ballet What to do Till the Messiah Comes, is considered by many critics to be the most powerful piece of choreography conceived by Norbert Vesak. Belong was awarded the Gold Medal for choreography at both the World Ballet Concours in Japan (1980) and the International Ballet Competition in Varna (1980).

World Premiere (Royal Winnipeg Ballet): January 11, 1973

TARA BIRTWHISTLE, ERIC NIPP AND THE COMPANY IN THE ECSTASY OF RITA JOE PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

TWYLA THARP’S THE PRINCESS & THE GOBLINBASED ON A STORY BY: George MacDonald

CONCEIVED, DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED: Twyla TharpMUSIC: Franz Schubert

ORIGINAL MUSIC, ARRANGED AND ORCHESTRATED: Richard BurkeLIGHTING DESIGN: Donald Holder

COSTUME DESIGN: Anne ArmitSCENIC DESIGN : Caleb Levengood

NUMBER OF DANCERS:26LENGTH:1 hour 21 minutes

INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTION WITH ATLANTA BALLET.

“Enchanting and funny…a powerful image of love. [Tharp] has succeeded here where so many have failed…a children’s ballet tightly woven with movement motifs and layered with symbolic meanings that adults can appreciate.” – New York Times, 2012

“Intriguing & moving” – Wall Street Journal, 2012

Over her long and illustrious career, Twyla Tharp has brought ballet into the popular imagination the world over and her work has irrevocably changed the face of modern dance. Tharp’s defining new ballet is an adaptation of a fairy tale by Victorian fantasy novelist George MacDonald, who is credited with inspiring authors W.H. Auden, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

The story follows young Princess Irene on a courageous quest to the underworld as she discovers the town’s children being kidnapped by the goblins. Guided by her Great-Grandmother, the heroine rescues the children against the odds in a transformative and inspiring story of humility and forgiveness.

INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTION WITH ATLANTA BALLET World Premiere: February 10, 2012 (Atlanta Ballet) Canadian Premiere: Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: October 17, 2012

AMANDA GREEN AND ERIC NIPP PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

IN TANDEMCHOREOGRAPHER: Peter Quanz

MUSIC: Steve ReichCOSTUME DESIGN: Anne Armit

LIGHTING DESIGN: Marc ParentNUMBER OF DANCERS:6

LENGTH: 23 minutes

“Quanz has created a suspenseful choreographic journey…” - Matthew Oshinsky, The Star-Ledger, September 2009

“Of all the pieces the Ontario-based choreographer has created in the past 10 years, In Tandem is easily the smartest.” – Gary Smith, Dance International, Winter 2009

In Tandem is a dynamic choreographic journey that stands apart due to its energetic and pulsing movements that have been characterized as “stretchy”, “edgy” and “angular”. Commissioned by the Works & Process Series of the Guggenheim Museum, In Tandem fuses classical ballet vocabulary with contemporary language.

Choreographed by Peter Quanz, this neo-classical ballet is set to the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning “Double Sextet” by American composer, Steve Reich. The music’s vibrant and swift rhythm carries the dancers from beginning to end through their suspenseful movements, unmistakably echoing both the darker and lighter moods of the performance.

As Quanz’s breakthrough ballet, In Tandem overflows with social charm and fleeting suggestions of the fundamental confrontations any love-based relationship must face. Fast-paced and pointed, this ballet is a modern inspection of some of our deepest and most unbridled emotions.

In Tandem was commissioned by Works & Process at the Guggenheim.

World Premiere: September 11, 2009Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: July 29, 2010

THE COMPANY PHOTO: RICHARD TERMINE

GOING HOME STAR - TRUTH AND RECONCILIATIONCHOREOGRAPHY: Mark Godden

STORY BY: Joseph BoydenMUSIC BY: Christos Hatzis

COSTUME DESIGN BY: Paul Daigle SET DESIGN BY: KC Adams

LIGHTING DESIGN BY: PIERRE LAVOIE PROJECTION DESIGN BY: Sean Nieuwenhuis

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Tina KeeperNUMBER OF DANCERS:26

LENGTH: 1 hour, 52 minutes

“The trauma of residential schools is writ large as the company’s strong dancers eat up the stage. This is a ballet that looks very good.” - Paula Citron, The Globe and Mail, October 2014

“It has visibly catalyzed the entire company; I have never seen the RWB dance better” – Robert Enright, CBC, 2014

Commissioned by Artistic Director André Lewis, A Story of Truth and Reconciliation explores the world of Annie, a young, urban First Nations woman adrift in a contemporary life of youthful excess. But when she meets Gordon, a longhaired trickster disguised as a homeless man, she’s propelled into a world she’s always sensed but never seen. Not only do they travel the streets of this place but also the roads of their ancestors, learning to accept eh other’s burdens as the two walk through the past and toward the future. Together, both Annie and Gordon learn that without truth, there is no reconciliation.


THE COMPANY PHOTO: SAMANTA KATZ

THE FAERIE QUEENA Ballet Based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream

CHOREOGRAPHY: John AlleyneMUSIC: Henry Purcell, Owen Underhill and Michael Bushnell

COSTUME DESIGN: Kim NielsenSET DESIGN: Darren Waterston

LIGHTING DESIGN: Jean Philippe Trépanier

“The clasically based but decidedly contemporary choreography flows smoothly, creating clever transitions from scene to scene.” - Critical Dance

Experience this enchanting story filled with love, magic, and deception. Fantasy meets visuallyexquisite dance as choreographer John Alleyne paints the stage in this full-length ballet basedon Henry Purcell’s opera of the same name, and on Shakespeare’s magical comedy, A MidsummerNight’s Dream. Follow Puck, as the fairy with a penchant for causing chaos,ensnaring both humans and fairies alike in romance and confusion with her magical flowerblossom. The Faerie Queen is an exploration of the contrasting elements of fantasy and reality- dark and light, mortal and immortal, male and female - and what happens when thesepowerful elements collide with one another.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: April, 2015

ELIZABETH LAMONT PHOTO: REJEAN BRANDT PHOTOGRAPHY

THE SLEEPING BEAUTYCHOREOGRAPHY: Marius Petipa

MUSIC:Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky COSTUME DESIGN: Shannon Lovelace, Anne Armit

SET AND PROPERTIES DESIGN: Michael Eagan LIGHTING DESIGN: Michael J. Whitfield

Length: 145 minutes

“Lavish, beautiful & very richly textured…you won’t see it done better anywhere else in the world.” - CBC Radio, 2002

“Sleeping Beauty is sheer romantic spectacle, with exquisite dancing and lovely costumes” - Halifax Daily News, October 30, 2002

Journey to an enchanted kingdom where good triumphs over evil through a single kiss. Relive the magic of your favourite childhood fairy tale with its cast of storybook characters including Princess Aurora, Prince Désiré, Little Red Riding Hood and Puss in Boots. The Sleeping Beauty marries the soaring music of Tchaikovsky with the stunning choreography of Marius Petipa, one of ballet’s most gifted creators. With lavish sets, stunning costumes and thrilling classical dance, this ballet will enchant audiences of all ages.

World Premiere: January 16, 1890 Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: March 13, 2002

WONDERLANDCHOREOGRAPHY: Shawn Hounsell

COMPOSERS: John Estacio, Brian Current, Josef Strauss COSTUME DESIGN: Anne Armit

SET DESIGN: Guillaume Lord LIGHTING DESIGN: Hugh Conacher

SOUNDSCAPE DESIGN: Nicolas BernierVIDEO SCENEOGRAPHY: Jimmy Lakatos, TURBINE

VIDEOGRAPHER: James Meagher MAKE-UP DESIGN: Jane McKay

VOICE OF ALICE: Natalie Macaluso Length: 2 hours, 20 minutes

“... unusual and beautiful interpretation ... one of the most unique shows in [RWB’s] repertoire.” - The StarPhoenix

“One of Canada’s “MUST-SEE EVENTS” in dance” - The Globe and Mail

This is Alice like you’ve never seen her before!

Wonderland is a dynamic re-interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s beloved characters, events and themes that is sure to surprise and delight. The Queen of Hearts, The White Rabbit, and the Mad Hatter are all on hand, displaying generous doses of wit, camp and humour. The surreal and dark elements that lurk at the original story’s fringes are bravely realized in explosive passages of breathtaking dance and innovative multimedia. Shawn Hounsell, acclaimed choreographer and RWB alumnus, has transformed Wonderland into a multi-sensory experience, with edgy and athletic movement, an inventive electro-acoustic soundscape and unexpected visual treats.

Contemporary interpretation of story. Themes suitable for age 6 and older.

World Premiere (Royal Winnipeg Ballet): March 9, 2011

TARA BIRTWHISTLE IN WONDERLAND PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

GISELLECHOREOGRAPHY: Peter Wright, after Jules Perrot, Jean Coralli and Marius Petipa

STAGED BY: Catherine Taylor MUSIC: Adolphe Adam

SCENARIO: Théophile Gautier and Henri Vernoy de Saint Georges PRODUCED BY: Peter Wright

SCENERY & COSTUME DESIGN: Peter Farmer LIGHTING DESIGN: Nicholas Cernovitch

Length: 115 minutes

“Joy, innocence, betrayal, death and salvation are conveyed in floating or vital images which are always beautiful, and often tremulously fragile.” - The Edmonton Sun, 1995

Giselle has been hailed as one of the greatest of all ballets and a supreme achievement of the Romantic era. Based on the German legend of the Wilis, it tells the story of young women whose love was never fulfilled because of intervening powers. In the evening, the Wilis rise from their graves and dance in the moonlight. Their beauty attracts young men, but the Wilis are as dangerous as they are irresistible, compelling the men to dance until they die.

World Premiere: June 28, 1841 Royal Winnipeg Ballet Premiere: December 26, 1982

JO-ANN SUNDERMEIER AND THE COMPANY PHOTO: BRUCE MONK

THE MAGIC FLUTECHOREOGRAPHY: Mark Godden

MUSIC: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart SET & COSTUME DESIGN: Paul Daigle

LIGHTING DESIGN: Pierre Lavoie SOUND DESIGN: Jean-Pierre Coté

Length: 2 hours, 25 minutes

“Bold, audacious, provocative, never boring...keeps you on the edge of your seat.” - CBC Radio 2003

“Luxuriate in the RWB’s vivid performance of a new ballet that is a boldly original departure” - National Post, 2003

From the creative team of Dracula comes a delightful concoction blending romance, enchantment, fantasy and an extraordinary journey from darkness into light. The Magic Flute features the sublime music of Mozart, the inventive choreography of Mark Godden and the exquisite dancers of the RWB. Dashing heroes, dastardly villains, damsels in distress, captivating comic sidekicks - and a flute with magical powers - abound in this opulent production designed by Paul Daigle. A dazzling showcase for the RWB’s seductive style!

The ballet received its world premiere in Winnipeg before touring to Ontario, Quebec and Western Canada in 2003/04 season The Magic Flute was also part of the National Arts Centre’s Mozart Festival in Ottawa in January 2004.

Co-produced by the National Arts Centre


CHRISTOPHER TURYK DIRECTOR OF COMPANY OPERATIONS

204.957.3440 [email protected]

380 Graham Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 4K2 CANADA

CONTACT FOR TOURING OPPORTUNITIES

TODD JORDAN PAQUIN ENTERTAINMENT1.204.988.1133 [email protected]

468 Stradbrook Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3L 0J9 CANADA

TODD JORDAN PAQUIN ENTERTAINMENT1.204.988.1133 [email protected]

468 Stradbrook Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3L 0J9 CANADA

AMANDA GREEN PHOTO: REJEAN BRANDT PHOTOGRAPHY

RWB.ORGFRONT COVER JO-ANN SUNDERMEIER AND THE COMPANY PHOTO: BRUCE MONKDESIGN: ALELI ESTRADA

RWB Touring Book

Documents

Transcript of RWB Touring Book