La BayadèreKingdom of the Shades + The Misadventures of Pinocchio

La Bayadère
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La Bayadère

Kingdom of the Shades + The Misadventures of Pinocchio

La Bayadère: Kingdom of the Shades

In conjunction with the RWB’s 75th anniversary, the RWB School Professional Division invites audiences to experience the talent and hard work of our student body firsthand. This dynamic mixed repertoire program will feature the famed Kingdom of the Shades from La Bayadère, set by former RWB Company dancer and international répétiteur Anna-Marie Holmes and performed by dancers in our Ballet Academic and Aspirant Programs.

Marius Petipa’s exotic La Bayadère was given its premiere at the Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St Petersburg in 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 judgement 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 unison across a moonlit stage.

Choreography Anna Marie Holmes After Marius Petipa
Music Ludwig Minkus

The Misadventures of Pinocchio

Adapted from The Adventures of Pinocchio, this one-act ballet is composed of selected chapters from the beloved 19th century children’s novel.

The ballet opens in Geppetto’s woodshop at the break of dawn, where mice and gargoyles scurry and scavenge for crumbs.

Geppetto awakes to put the final touches on his precious carving, a boy marionette named Pinocchio, so well-carved that it appears human.

When Geppetto turns his back, the marionette seems to take on a life of its own. Did Geppetto’s dream come to life?

The misadventures begin when Pinocchio sets out for his first day of school. Along the way, he encounters the “Lame Fox” and his companion the “Blind Cat”, a mischievous pair determined to profit from Pinocchio’s lunch money.

The devious Fox and Cat lure Pinocchio to a circus, where they hope to spend his money. It’s not long before the exciting sights and sounds cause Pinocchio to lose all track of time. In his rush to get home, he takes a wrong turn and comes face to face with a gang of bullies. Pinocchio is rescued by the Fox and Cat, but they have other plans for him.

Following Pinocchio on his misadventures is Jiminy Cricket. Jiminy appears in many different forms, a constant reminder that our conscience should never be ignored.

In the whirlwind finale, Pinocchio backtracks through his misadventures in a step by step dance where he can at last learn from his mistakes.

Staged and Choreographed by Stéphane Léonoard
Music from the ballet “La Source” by Leo Delibes and Ludwig Minkus

All casting is subject to change.

La Bayadère: Kingdom of the Shades

Nikiyia: Mako Ayata (May 21, 23 mat), Victoria Jenkins (May 22, 23 eve)
Solor: Tyler Carver* (May 21, 23 mat), Yue Shi (May 22, 23 eve)
Trio: Madeline Bez, Julia Jones-Whitehead, Saeka Shirai (May 21, 23 mat); Madeline Bez, Julia Jones-Whitehead, Diane Saller (May 22, 23 eve)
Corps de ballet: Tania Angelovski, Erin Atkinson, Mako Ayata (May 22, 23 eve), Anna Benko, Sydney Barber, Madison Chisholm, Audrey Cook, Olivia Etherton, Victoria Jenkins (May 21, 23
mat); Elise Jochem, Seung Yeon Lee, Adriana Marcolini-Bowes, Kelsey Miller, Samara Rittinger, Diane Saller (May 21, 23 mat); Katie Simpson, Michaela Skuce, Morgan Thiessen, Wetika Woramontri (May 22, 23 eve), Angelica Zuenko

* Tyler Carver appears with special permission by Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet and through the Canadian Actor’s Equity Association.

The Misadventures of Pinocchio

Pinocchio: Michel Lavoie (May 22nd, eve 23rd eve), Joshua Phillips (May 21st, 23rd mat)
Geppetto: Luke Thomson
Geppetto’s dog: Matthew Klippenstein
Woodshop mice: Julianne Chartier, Abby Harris, Abigail Newton
Gargoyles: Daniel Borrett (May 21st , 23rd mat), Noah Franck (May 22nd ,23rd eve), Caeden Meyer (May 21st , 23rd mat), Miguel Sauve (May 22nd ,23rd eve)
Jiminy Cricket/Teacher: Isabella Pisapia (May 21st, 23rd mat), Angelica Zuenko (May 22nd, 23rdeve)
School Girls & Boys:
Jasmine Brown, Anna Cooper, Laura Flydorf, Claire Kincade, Bailey Kinnear (May 22nd, 23rd eve), Emilie Lewis, Alexandra Smedmor, Sarah Snider (May 21st, 23rd mat), Alexandra Strandberg, Braiden Harder, Conrad Mueller, Etienne Rutkowski, Bryce Taylor
The Lame Fox: Brandon Lockhart (May 22nd, 23rd eve), Luke Thomson (May 21st, 23rd mat)
The Blind Cat: Keaton Leier (May 22nd, 23rd eve), Yuya Mizushima (May 21st, 23rd mat)
The Strong Man: Mitchell Przybilla
The Bearded Lady: Kelsey Miller
Columbine: Anna Benko (May 22nd, 23rdeve), Morgan Thiessen (May 21st, 23rd mat) Harlequin: Keaton Leier (May 21st, 23rd mat), Yuya Mizushima (May 22nd, 23rd eve)
Pierrot: Brandon Lockhart
Poodles: Sydney Barber, Madison Chisholm, Ryley Krauss, Katie Simpson, Michaela Skuce
Trainer: Caelar Phillips
The Bullies:
Soloist: Nicolas Noguera
Corps: Roman Chorneyko, David Denton Protsack, Kolbie Edwards, Nathaniel Moore, Jonah Schroeder, Bryce Taylor
Fairies: Victoria Bourassa, Karissa Bowden (May 22nd, 23rd eve), Polly Guay, Miranda Lazarenko, Ana Mekvabishvili, Kazuki Nishikiori, Elizabeth Oates, Hannah Smith, Sophie Willet (May 21st, 23rd mat)

Synopsis

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