Arnold Spohr, Director Emeritus of
Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Dies at Age 86

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kate Hodgert, Publicity Manager
Email: khodgert@rwb.org
Phone: (204) 957-3447

Winnipeg, MB (April 12, 2010) - The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is deeply saddened to announce that today it lost a creative giant and a treasured friend with the passing of its Artistic Director Emeritus, Dr. Arnold Theodore Spohr, CC, OM, LLD, DFA, ARCT, ARAD. Mr. Spohr spent his last hours at the Tuxedo Villa Nursing Home in Winnipeg, surrounded by loved ones.

In his 45 years as a dancer and choreographer, Dr. Spohr earned international recognition and his work profoundly influenced dance in Winnipeg, Canada and around the globe.

Arnold Spohr joined the Company as a dancer in 1945 when it was known as the Winnipeg Ballet and was just a new light on the Canadian prairies. He became Artistic Director in 1958, five years after it became the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and during a particularly challenging time financially and artistically. Spohr undertook the reorganization of the Company, and with prodigious energy, outstanding leadership and unwavering dedication throughout his three decades as Artistic Director, developed the RWB from a small, regional troupe to a distinguished, award-winning company of international renown.

Arnold Spohr’s vision and dedication as Artistic Director had an immeasurable impact on the RWB and the dance community in Canada. He commissioned new works from both well-known and emerging choreographers and was instrumental in helping to launch many prestigious dance careers. With a combination of classical tradition and contemporary ballet, he created a style unique to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

As Artistic Director, Spohr’s aim was to demonstrate that it is possible for ballet to succeed in Winnipeg and Canada. Spohr brought international choreographers and dancers to Winnipeg and took the Company to the major cultural centres of the world. He made strong connections around the globe and was extremely proud of the RWB’s role as international ambassador for the country, showcasing uniquely Canadian ballets. 

RWB’s current Artistic Director, André Lewis, stated today:

“Mr. Spohr spent most of his life working for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. He was absolutely instrumental in bringing the Company to international prominence, and he put his heart and soul into realizing that vision. We at the RWB are humbled and proud to carry on his legacy.”

A distinguished choreographer in his own right, Spohr’s oeuvre for the RWB included Ballet Premier (1950), Intermède (1951), Children of Men (1953), E Minor (1958), Hansel and Gretel (1960), among many others.

Dr. Spohr’s outstanding artistic and personal achievements have garnered him the highest awards and distinctions, including the Companion of the Order of Canada, the Order of Manitoba, the Centennial Medal, the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, the Molson Prize, the Canadian Actors’ Equity Champagne Award, the Dance Magazine Award, the Diplôme d'honneur, the Canada Dance Award, the Royal Bank Award, three honorary doctorate degrees (University of Victoria, University of Manitoba and University of Winnipeg), among many others.

Dr. Spohr worked tirelessly with dance organizations and companies throughout North America in service of developing excellence in the field of dance.  As Artistic Director Emeritus of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet for the past number of years, he remained committed to assisting the efforts of the artists, the students, and the management of the Company.

“A man who is capable of caring not only for the art but also for the dancers and audiences who trust his ‘eye’ and heart. As a dancer you worked for him because he believes in art and that the impossible is possible. You came back because in proving to him that you were capable (no easy task!), his approval and unfailing standards gave you the confidence and inspiration to excel... [W]e set our sights not alone, but under the nurturing guidance of a leader who cherished creativity. He is a man ignited and excited by dance.”

-Evelyn Hart in the preface to An Instinct for Success – Arnold Spohr and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet by Michael Crabb

“How fortunate the Royal Winnipeg Ballet has been to have had his years as a dancer and choreographer succeeded by so many years of his selfless, dedicated, talented leadership; and then, by his continuing overall interest and enthusiastic assistance.”

-Kathleen Richardson in the foreword to An Instinct for Success – Arnold Spohr and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet

“Everything has its time and place. I guess I was in the right place, for the choice of becoming the director of the RWB gave me my life’s work.” - Dr. Arnold Theodore Spohr

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For further information, interview requests, or access to high resolution images, please contact:

Kate Hodgert, Publicity Manager at (204) 957-3447, khodgert@rwb.org.