March 26, 2026
Royal Winnipeg Ballet season finale showcases a powerful trio of works, featuring a world premiere and Canadian debut
April 30 to May 3 at the Centennial Concert Hall
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s 2025–2026 season finale, The Four Seasons with šɛgatəm & Odyssey, is a triple bill featuring three distinct choreographic voices. Running April 30 to May 3 at the Centennial Concert Hall, the program features James Kudelka’s The Four Seasons, the Canadian premiere of Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe’s šɛgatəm, and the world premiere of Dwight Rhoden’s Odyssey.
Kudelka’s The Four Seasons traces the arc of a life through the changing seasons, following Everyman from youth to death, set to Antonio Vivaldi’s enduring score. A work of striking clarity and emotional depth, it remains a defining contribution to Canadian ballet.
As one of Canada’s most influential choreographers, he is known for his range across large-scale narrative works and more intimate, psychologically driven pieces. A former Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, Kudelka was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada and received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2023.
Fraser-Monroe’s šɛgatəm (pronounced shAY-ga-tum) makes its Canadian premiere following its debut at New York City Center. Drawing on traditional, contemporary, and ballet practices, the work shares the story of a leader facing burnout who must learn, the hard way, to lean on his community. Rooted in Tla’amin Nation teachings, the work reflects a self-reliant community grounded in resilience and a deep understanding of when to ask for help. The work is set to music by Polaris Prize–winning artist Jeremy Dutcher.
Fraser-Monroe is a choreographer and a member of the Tla’amin First Nation. His work spans performance and creation across Canada and internationally, with commissions from companies including the National Ballet of Canada and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
šɛgatəm was co-commissioned by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Bard College Center for Indigenous Studies, and the Fall for Dance Festival at New York City Center.
“It feels like only the beginning of an entire new way of interpreting ballet, and signals a long, rich career to come for Fraser-Monroe.”
— Janet Smith, Stir Magazine
The program concludes with the world premiere of Odyssey by Rhoden, a sweeping work that unfolds in layers, transporting audiences into a worldview beyond our three-dimensional reality. Structured as a series of evolving movements, each section marks a shift in the world’s order. As relationships form, dissolve, and reconfigure, the world itself expands and contracts.
Rhoden has established a wide-ranging career as a choreographer and performer. A former principal dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and co-founder of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, he has created over 100 ballets and worked with companies worldwide, including New York City Ballet, The Joffrey Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet. The New York Times has described him as “one of the most sought out choreographers of the day.”
This production is made possible through the generous support of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra as Arts Partner and The Asper Foundation as Live Music Benefactor.
MEDIA ACCESS
Media are invited to attend the dress rehearsal on Wednesday, April 29 at 7:30 PM.
To RSVP, please contact jane@jppr.ca.
PERFORMANCE DETAILS
The Four Seasons with šɛgatəm & Odyssey
April 30 – May 3, 2026
Centennial Concert Hall
555 Main Street, Winnipeg
Performance Schedule
Thursday, April 30 at 7:30 PM
Friday, May 1 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 2 at 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 PM
Tickets start at $40 and are available at rwb.org.
Dinner & Ballet
On Saturday, May 2, audiences are invited to extend their evening with Dinner & Ballet, a pre-show catered dinner hosted by the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. The experience includes an elegant meal and guest speakers, offering insight into the artistic process and the stories that shape the Company’s work.
Reserve tickets to Dinner & Ballet
About the Royal Winnipeg Ballet
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet teaches, creates, and performs, enriching lives through the power of exceptional dance. With a legacy spanning more than 85 years, the RWB is recognized for its versatility, technical excellence, and commitment to artistic quality. Under the artistic leadership of Christopher Stowell, the Company continues to build on its classical foundation while presenting a wide range of works for audiences in Winnipeg and beyond.
In addition to its renowned Company, the RWB is home to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, which includes the Professional Division—an internationally acclaimed training ground for aspiring professional dancers and educators—and the Recreational Division, Winnipeg’s largest dance school, welcoming students of all ages, levels, and interests.
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Jane Pike
JPPR on behalf of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet
jane@jppr.ca | 310-776-0502