The RWB closes the season with a mixed programme featuring three stunning Winnipeg premieres from the world’s leading contemporary ballet choreographers. The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude is William Forsythe’s affectionate homage to Petipa and Balanchine. Performed on pointe, the fast-paced, high energy work certainly lives up to its name, providing a breathtaking display of classical technique, precise footwork and courtly partnering. Four Seasons, by James Kudelka, is a rich interpretation of the journey of life. Hailed by critics as a “modern masterpiece” and danced to Vivaldi’s four violin concertos, the ballet integrates brilliant ensemble work with virtuosic solos and breathtaking pas-de-deux. Winnipeg’s own Jorden Morris will create a new signature work, Défilé, in celebration of the connectivity of the RWB Company and the RWB School’s Professional Division. Be prepared to see the entire organization on stage for a memorable performance not-to-be missed!

Celebrate the amazing talent of rising, young artists from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Professional Division as they take the stage and present their year end showcase. Audiences will by moved by their genuine love of dance and vibrant, infectious energy.

DANCE SPECTRUM AND SPRING CONCERT Three year-end dance showcases celebrate the wonderful work of the RWB School RD students’ performances on May 31 and June 1. Tickets purchases are accepted at the venue 1 hour prior to each performance start time. Cash and Credit cards are accepted.

Discover the next generation of professional ballet dancers from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Aspirant Program as they reveal diverse repertoire that will be sure to captivate and inspire.

Commissioned by Artistic Director Andre 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 the 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.

"Ballet cuts right to the heart of what's most beautiful, physically in humanity and what's most beautiful in story. We are taking a very European form and introducing it to a First Nations experience. We'll find a way to meld this meeting of these two very different places in a fascinating way." - Joseph Boyden

When midnight strikes, young Clara's enchanted Christmas gift leads her into a wondrous world... with the valiant Nutcracker at her side, Clara defeats the Mouse King and his army of mice, and journeys to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of Sweets. There, the Sugar Plum Fairy bids everyone to dance in their honour. Royal Winnipeg Ballet's acclaimed production of Nutcracker is a sheer delight, and features endearing Canadian scenes such as a snowy pond hockey game and a battle on Parliament Hill and this year's production will be even more heart-warming with the addition of twelve white furry friends! Danced to Tchaikovsky's timeless score, we will take you to a wondrous adventure this holiday season.

Canada's Ballet Jörgen
This ballet by Bent Jörgen is an innovative take on the classic fairy tale. Jörgen's choreography takes us through the misfortunes and fortunes of Cinderella and her stpsisters. Cinderella is tormented by her sisters until her life is changed by the appearance of an old woman, a seed and magical fairies. When Cinderella wins the hand of her prince, her stepsisters find their world turned upside down. Framing the action Glenn Davidson's set design creates a fantastical environment based on the idea of the natural world reclaiming man-made structures. Costume designs by Robert Doyle playfully echo each character's personality

Perhaps the best-known classical ballet of all time, Swan Lake also enjoys the prestige of being the first of Tchaikovsky's three full-length ballets, with Nutcracker and The Sleeping Beauty completing the trio. The ballet premiered over a century ago in Russia and remains timeless because of the range of human emotions expressed through dance and Tchaikovsky's luminous score. The poetic work resonates with meloncholy and hope and draws the audience into the story of Odette, a princess-turned-swan and the heroic Prince Siegfried, until the love-soaked conclusion. With Royal Winnipeg Ballet's quintessential production featuring breathtaking choreography and visually magnificent sets evoking a Renaissance court, the fabled lake of the swans rises into view, insipring awe for generations to come.

Experience this enchanting story filled with love, magic, and deception. Fantasy meets visually exquisite dance as choreographer John Alleyne paints the stage in this full-length ballet based on Henry Purcell’s opera of the same name, and on Shakespeare’s magical comedy, A Midsummer Night’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 flower blossom. 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 these powerful elements collide with one another.

"The Classically based but decidedly contemporary choreography flows smoothly, creating clever transitions from scene to scene." - Critical Dance

RWB School Professional Division
Marius Petipa's exotic La Bayadère was given its premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in St Petersburg 1877. It was regularly performed within the former Soviet Union throughout the 20th century but was almost unknown in the West until 1961, when the touring Kirov Ballet performed the famous Kingdom of the Shades scene. Legendary India provides the setting for a tale of love, murder, and vengeful judement by the gods, set to a lyrical score by Ludwig Minkus. La Bayadère's most frequently performed sequence is the dream-like Kingdom of the Shades, when a mesmerizing procession of ballerinas dance in unision across a moonlit stage.

Step into Peter Quanz' choreographic laboratory with the next installment of Q DANCE presented by Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Well known for innovative and aesthetically outstanding choreographic choices, this year's dynamic Q DANCE program is set to be a virtuosic collection of contemporary ballet.

The mixed repertoire program features two World Premieres - a new creation from emerging creative talent, Gabrielle Lamb and a new creation by international choreographer, Peter Quanz. This year also marks the return of Peter Quanz' Untitled on stage. The three-piece program moves into the Manitoba Theatre Centre after a highly successful sold-out series at the Gas Station Arts Centre in 2013.

"One of the freshest young voices working in contemporary ballet..." - Ottawa Citizen