Jolene Bailie

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Jolene Bailie is currently the Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (2019-present), where she creates new work, re-mounts existing work, teaches company class and directs/produces events. Her work has been presented on over 500 occasions, in various venues locally, nationally, internationally and online – including theatres, museums, art galleries, outdoors, festivals, site specific, and for video. Producing shows annually since 2000, Bailie has choreographed 14 full-length works, 30+ shorter works and toured her work to national and international critical acclaim, including to Beijing, New York City, Stuttgart, and across North America.

Bailie has also served as a stager and rehearsal director for 10 works by Bill Evans, as well as for works by Rachel Browne, Jera Wolfe, and Marie-Josee Chartier. Bailie supports the development of pre-professional and emerging dancers in Winnipeg, having led performance and coaching projects annually 2004-present.

Bailie’s performance career began with a decade of touring work; highlights include touring with works by Jose Limon, Anna Sokolow and her own self-created solos. Bailie’s successful solo work grew to include over 15 years of creating ensemble works. As the Founding Artistic Director of Gearshifting Performance Works, a company that successfully operated for 19 years, she produced full seasons of programming, national and international tours, and premiered original works.

Bailie’s interest in choreography grew out of a deep love for dance training and teaching, having taught dance for over 30 years and creating hundreds of dances for students. Bailie first taught tap, jazz and ballet before focusing on contemporary dance.

Bailie has taught for RWB’s professional division under the leadership of David Moroni, Arlene Minkhorst and Stephane Leonard. She created Incantation (2002) and Take Five (2019) for the RWB’s professional division’s year end concerts and has served as a Juror for First Steps. Her connections to RWB School also include: training as a student, working as a residence counsellor, volunteering, performing at RWB’s Sharing Dance Day, presenting choreography at RWB’s Dance Downtown, and more.

Bailie holds a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance through The American Dance Festival/Hollins University, a Teacher’s Certificate with Distinction from The Royal Academy of Dance and a Bachelor of Arts Honors degree with the Gold Medal Award for Academic Excellence from The University of Winnipeg. Bailie trained at institutions, intensives and with Master Teachers all over North America and is also a graduate of The School of Contemporary Dancers.