Alumni and students unite for anniversary show!

Winnipeg, Manitoba (May 2, 2011) – Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division presents In Concert a year-end showcase featuring George Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony, ‘Hula’ from William Forsythe’s The Second Detail, Yosuke Mino’s Kafe and the one-act story ballet Fairy Doll. In Concert will be performed at the CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre from May 18 – 22.

Joining the Professional Division students on stage for Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony are RWB Soloists Jo-Ann Sundermeier and Alexander Gamayunov, and Second Soloist Maureya Lebowitz. RWB Soloist Yosuke Mino will perform his pas de deux Kafe with Lebowitz. Sundermeier, Lebowitz and Mino are all graduates of the Professional Division.

Scotch Symphony
Balanchine’s Scotch Symphony drew inspiration from New York City Ballet's first visit to the Edinburgh Festival, where every night on the castle esplanade the Searchlight Tattoo was performed with marching pipers, drummers and the dancing of reels. The ballet is set to Felix Mendelssohn’s ‘Symphony No.3 in A Minor, 1842’ (2nd, 3rd and 4th Movements). Balanchine found the first movement unsuitable for dancing and consequently used only the last three.

Guest Balanchine Répétiteur Joysanne Sidimus has been working with the dancers to set this ballet. One of contemporary ballet’s most respected and knowledgeable authorities on the work of George Balanchine, Ms Sidimus’ extensive and intimate understanding of his choreography has led her to stage them for ballet companies all over the world.

‘Hula’ from The Second Detail
The Second Detail was originally choreographed by William Forsythe for The National Ballet of Canada in 1991. As with most Forsythe ballets, The Second Detail is a high energy work laced with complex movements which differ from those of tradition ballet.

This excerpt was set by Professional Division graduate and former RWB Principal Dancer Laura Graham. Ms Graham is currently ballet master at the Semperoper Ballett in Dresden, Germany. She has worked as a Forsythe Ballet Master and has guest taught and set ballets for companies around the world

Kafe
Kafe is an original work by RWB Soloist Yosuke Mino. The pas de deux is set to ‘Spiegel Im Spiegel’ by Arvo Pärt. Over the past few years, Mino has been expanding his choreographic repertoire. He recently won second place at the International Solo Tanz Theater Festival in Stuttgart, Germany for a work he both choreographed and performed.

Fairy Doll
Fairy Doll is the fantastical tale of a shopkeeper’s apprentice who undergoes a night of revelry when a broken doll he is fixing comes to life. Set to music by Josef Bayer, the ballet is fun for everyone and filled with beautiful costumes and colourful characters.

Fairy Doll was set by the talented artistic faculty of the Professional Division, including Jorden Morris, Choreographer & Associate School Director; Jacqueline Weber, RWB School Principal; Bruce Monk, School Faculty and Scott Andrew, School Faculty – all RWB School graduates.

In Concert is made possible through the generous support of Investors Group Financial Services, the Manitoba Arts Council and Canadian Heritage. Production supporter for Scotch Symphony is Angela B. Ross.

Alumni Reunion
On Saturday, May 21, RWB School Professional Division will be hosting a reunion for its alumni in celebration of the division’s 40^th Anniversary. Alumni from all over the world will gather to connect with friends and colleagues and to share memories in commemoration of four decades of excellence.

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A Media Call will be held in conjunction with dress rehearsal on Wednesday, May 18 starting at 1:30 pm at CanWest Global Performing Arts Centre at the Forks.

For more information, to arrange interviews or for access to high-resolution images and video footage, please contact:

Heather Saxton
Publicity Manager
Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet
hsaxton@rwb.org