The School’s annual choreographic competition, First Steps, took place from February 12 to 15 in the Founders Studio and culminated with a Gala Performance and Awards Ceremony on February 16.  We were pleased to have Ms. Leticia DiRisio, Branch Manager of CIBC, in attendance and to help present the CIBC Award.  The School would like to thank the following  artists who volunteered their time to sit on the jury:

Mark Cameron, RWB School Artistic faculty, musician, children’s entertainer

Donna Fletcher, Actor/singer/director; Faculty member at University of Winnipeg Department of Theatre and Film

Odette Heyn-Penner, Co-director/Co-founder, The School of Contemporary Dancers Professional Program

Carman Johnston, Capital and Endowment Campaign Manager, PTE

Vanessa Léonard (née Lawson), RWB Principal Dancer

CindyMarie Mack (née Small), Former RWB Soloist

Roman Rykine, RWB School Artistic faculty

Arlene Minkhorst, RWB School Director

A total of ten awards were presented at the First Steps 2013 Gala and Awards ceremony, as follows:

CIBC Award for Innovation, Seth Buckley, Level 7, for Please Empty Your Pockets

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Award, Jesse Petrie, Level 7, for Tendencies

First Place Jeppe Hansen, Level 7, for Humoresque

Second Place Jesse Petrie, Level 7, for Tendencies

Third Place Mark Griffiths, Level 7, for Femina Vires

People’s Choice Award Akanbi Babatunde, Level 6, for Botho

The Doreen MacDonald Scholarship, Isabella Pisapia, Level 5, for Incomparable

The Paddy Stone Scholarship, Connor Coughlin, Level 6, for Something’s Bound to Begin

Honourable Mention, Julia Jones-Whitehead, Level 7, for La Réunion

Honourable Mention, Sofie Schreiber, Teacher Training Program Year 1, for Perpetuum Mobile

This year’s performance was exciting and beautiful – we thank each and every one of the dancers, teachers, staff, jury members who made this night possible! Until next year!

Saeka Shirai, Jin Ah Kim, Madeline Bez photo credit: Bruce Monk