2019-2020 Season | Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet
Our home is the Prairies, the world is our stage.
For 80 years, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet has made its home on the Prairies while taking its artistry to over 600 cities around the globe.
This season promises to be our most memorable one yet as we premiere the opulent classic La Bayadère, present a brand-new piece by James Kudelka featuring the iconic Evelyn Hart, and take you to the streets of Paris in Moulin Rouge® – The Ballet. We celebrate the RWB’s rich history by closing the year with some of our greatest repertoire including a rousing rendition of Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo and the lyrical, compelling Angels in the Architecture. This season is not to be missed- we hope that you join us!
2018-2019 Season | Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents our 2018-2019 Season, 'Fearless'.
Be it in a script, on stage, or in our day-to-day lives, heroines exist. Their existence is impactful, and regardless of how you encounter them, heroines are truly unforgettable. Our 79th season follows three fearless female protagonists: The Handmaid Tale’s Offred, Juliet Capulet of Romeo & Juliet, and Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz while they experience diverse issues, triumphs, and struggles.
Our season opens in a dystopian future where we shadow the restricted, yet resilient, Offred as she navigates a world where women’s rights have been stripped away in the powerful and poignant interpretation of Margaret Atwood’s gripping novel, The Handmaid’s Tale.
Come December, we journey alongside Clara in Nutcracker, our timeless family favourite that promises to once again enchant audiences of all ages.
In February, we stand alongside Juliet as she defies the ordered social structure in the re-telling of Shakespeare’s enduring Romeo & Juliet. Our season of mainstage performances ends in The Emerald City as we journey beside Dorothy with confidence in the Canadian premiere of The Wizard of Oz.
In addition to our mainstage productions, we are proud to offer Ballet & the Band, a new and exciting artistic collaboration, as well as Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division’s year-end performances: Spotlight and On The Edge.
We look forward to seeing you at the ballet!
For more information on our 2018-2019 Season, visit rwb.org.
The Nutcracker, presented by Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet
This unforgettable production is playing at Walton Arts Center Nov. 25-27, 2016.
Visit for more info.
2017-2018 Season | Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents our 2017-2018 Season, 'A Season of Storytelling'.
Be it spoken, written, or performed, stories connect us with one another. Dance allows us to feel and live a story without words. Throughout history we have turned to dance as a way of expressing ourselves, of telling our stories and of connecting with each other. This year our season will take us on journeys through magical lands, where the power of beautifully-told stories will thrill and delight our audiences.
We look forward to seeing you at the ballet!
For more information on our 2017-2018 Season, visit rwb.org.
Guest Dancer joins Royal Winnipeg Ballet
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet welcomes a guest dancer from the Estonian National Ballet.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Auditions
Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Nutcracker, 2015
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.
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, mischievous Filbert the Bear steals the Christmas pudding and where Hazel the Polar Bear and her twelve furry polar cubs will surely warm your heart. A holiday classic for the whole family!
Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet │Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival 2012
Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet performed at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in 2012.
Under the artistic direction of André Lewis, versatility, technical excellence, and captivating style are hallmarks of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. In this rare U.S. appearance, the dance company performed Argentinean choreographer Mauricio Wainrot's passionate Carmina Burana, a feast for the senses set to Carl Orff's famous score. The full-company work is packed with visual drama and theatricality, and Wainrot's choreography is strong, passionate, and full of lush lyricism.
The program also featured contemporary ballet choreographer Peter Quanz's In Tandem, deliciously matched with composer Steve Reich's Double Sextet; Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times describes it as full of social charm and fleeting suggestions of social and love relationships.
Founded in 1939, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is the longest continually operating ballet company in North America. In 1953, the Company received its royal title, the first granted under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1964, the company made its U.S. debut at Jacob's Pillow; this was the first time they have returned since.
Jacob's Pillow Dance is a National Historic Landmark, home to America's longest-running dance festival, and recipient of the prestigious National Medal of Arts. To learn more about the Pillow:
Explore more dance videos online at Jacob's Pillow Dance Interactive:
Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet Audition Tour
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Alumni teach, create and perform across the globe - where will we take you?
Register today for the RWB School's Professional Division Audition Tour! Students who participate in the 2018/19 Audition Tour are auditioning to gain acceptance into the Professional Division Summer Session (July 2019) in Winnipeg, which serves as the second audition phase to gain acceptance into Regular Session (September 2019 to June 2020).
Cananda's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School
For almost 80 years, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School has been inspiring young artists and supporting them in the pursuit of their goals. Under the direction of School Director Stéphane Léonard, the RWB School is well-known across Canada and around the world for providing excellence in dance education. The School’s state-of the-art facility, located in historic downtown Winnipeg, is home to the more than 1,500 students annually who make up the Professional and Recreational Divisions of the School. The connection to the RWB Company and the subsequent visibility of students and exposure to the eye of Artistic Director André Lewis is among the School’s many strengths.
Asia Dance Audition - School
This is the first chance for them to be an outstanding pro-dancer in global stage.
Apply now -
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Participating ballet schools
• Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School
• Joffrey Ballet School, USA
• New Zealand School of Dance
• Oklahoma City Ballet School, USA
• The Australian Ballet School
Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Audition Tour
The 2019/20 Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division audition registration is now open, for information on dates, locations and to register for auditions, please visit rwb.org/auditions.
Tutus in Bloom | Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet
In order to present Swan Lake for our 75th Anniversary season, the RWB wardrobe department has begun working tirelessly to replace 28 tutus that were designed and built a quarter of a century ago.
To donate to the Tutus in Bloom campaign, visit rwb.org/support/special-projects/tutus-in-bloom/
Videographer: JP Media Works
Royal Winnipeg Ballet presents Giselle
September 30 - October 4, 2015 at the Centennial Concert Hall
A broken heart and shattered dreams drive the virtuous village girl Giselle to her untimely death. In the moonlit forest, she joins the spirit world of the Wilis – vengeful spirits of abandoned brides. When Giselle’s remorseful lover Albrecht visits her grave, only her undying love can save him from the Wilis’ bewitching, deathly dance.
Tickets and Information:
Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet Audition Tour
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Alumni teach, create and perform across the globe - where will we take you?
Register today for the RWB School's Professional Division Audition Tour! Students who participate in the 2018/19 Audition Tour are auditioning to gain acceptance into the Professional Division Summer Session (July 2019) in Winnipeg, which serves as the second audition phase to gain acceptance into Regular Session (September 2019 to June 2020).
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School | Explorability | Radio Canada
Radio Canada visited the RWB to learn about ExplorAbility designed specifically for adults with different abilities. Classes are focused on developing body awareness, self-expression, posture and alignment, all in a creative and supportive environment. The class is taught by Jacqui Ladwig who created it in 2009.
In 2016/17 the University of Manitoba Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management conducted a study to better understand the physical and psychosocial experiences and outcomes of engaging in an adapted dance program (ExplorAbility).
The take away from their research is that there is evidence that ExplorAbility is feasible and enjoyable for participants. It’s also associated with improvements in physical, psychological, and social health. If you would like to learn more about the study, please take a look at the report.
Thank you to Radio Canada for coming out to the RWB School and the University of Manitoba and taking an interest in our ExplorAbility program.
Session 3 of ExplorAbility (rwb.org/explorability) at the RWB and the spring session for ExplorAbility for Parkinson’s (rwb.org/explorabilityparkinsons) have just begun, participants can register at any time.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet Building Tour
Thinking about signing up for one of our Summer Programs? Get a look behind the doors of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School as Dance Intensive Guest Teacher, Kira Hofmann, gives a tour of the RWB Building & Residence.
For more information on our Summer Programs, visit:
Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet Audition Tour Parents Panel
The RWB School Professional Division is incredibly thankful to our panelists Gail & Doug Little and Susan & Serge Deleau for their insight into what it’s like to raise a professional dancer. As well as our dancers Evelyn & Jaimi for shining a light on this unique lifestyle.
We are grateful to RWB School Alumni Tracy Koga and Hue for hosting and producing this panel discussion on “Raising a Ballerina”.
The RWB School Professional Division Audition Tour has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada and the Manitoba Arts Council. The RWB School also gratefully acknowledges the support of our 2018/19 Audition Tour Presenting Sponsor: IG Wealth Management.
Shaw TV @ Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Part 1
Tracy chats with Arlene Minkhorst, RWB professional division director, about a day in the life at the ballet.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet Professional Division Grads
It's graduation season and we head to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet to chat with some of their members who are graduating from the RWB's Professional Division and what they have planned moving forward.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet at Assiniboine Park - 2007
A Royal Winnipeg Ballet performance at Assiniboine Park 2007