Arlene Minkhorst

honour roll inductee

Biography

Arlene Minkhorst graduated from the National Ballet School of Canada in 1976, and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 1979. She performed in numerous productions with the RWB Company before directing her energies into teaching full-time.

Ms. Minkhorst’s tenure encompasses 40 years of commitment to the RWB School.  She first joined the RWB School faculty in 1979 and was appointed Vice-Principal in 1991. At the commencement of the 2002-2003 season, she was appointed Associate Director, and in July 2004, she took over the Directorship of the RWB School from Founding Director, David Moroni, C.M.

Before taking over the Directorship of the RWB School, Ms. Minkhorst recognized the importance and need for the RWB School Professional Division Ballet Academic Program to have integrated academics and ballet training. She subsequently developed, pursued, and implemented a supportive academic/dance structure with Winnipeg school divisions, middle schools, and high schools. In 2008, she established a highly successful partnership with the Collegiate at the University of Winnipeg, allowing students to attain a strong academic education concurrently with their professional dance training.

Ms. Minkhorst’s level of artistic and pedagogical talent contributed to the RWB School’s success through her teaching. She sought out opportunities for personal growth at esteemed schools, such as The Royal Ballet School and Ecole du Ballet de L’Opéra de Paris among others, which contributed to the fine-tuning of her teaching skills. Ms. Minkhorst guest taught and sat on prestigious juries at esteemed competitions such as the Prix de Lausanne and Youth American Grand Prix and Tanzolymp, all contributing to a large-scale presence for the RWB School in the international dance community.

Ms. Minkhorst’s contribution on a community level was far-reaching. Her desire for children of all abilities to have the opportunity to experience dance developed into a passion that compelled her to work tirelessly with the community towards this goal. She facilitated the restructuring of the Recreational Division which expanded immensely in faculty and student enrolment and paved the way to a sound program. Ms. Minkhorst orchestrated and nurtured a boys’ program that encouraged young males to dance and enabled them to step past social ignorance.  Classes for boys only were materialized and the tuition was highly subsidized. Since its inception, the boys’ program has grown exponentially and now prides itself in a current enrolment of more than 360 boys/men.

Ms. Minkhorst ensured that the RWB School had key representation on arts boards and contributed to the academic review and creation of the provincial dance curriculum in the Winnipeg school divisions. Through the Satellite Program, Quantum Arts Program, Connections Tour, and Head Start Feet First Program, her support expertise and contribution to these programs led to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for those who may not have otherwise had the opportunity to experience dance.  Additionally, Minkorst was instrumental in embracing Sharing Dance, an extensive initiative in partnership with Canada’s National Ballet School and Health Education Canada.

Ms. Minkhorst is now the Director of Education at the Tulsa Ballet.