RENOWNED BALLET SCHOOL LAUNCHES NORTH AMERICA-WIDE TOUR

Royal Winnipeg Ballet School seeks next generation of professional dancers

From October 10 – January 25, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) School Professional Division will hold auditions across Canada and into the U.S. in search of new talent. Auditions are the first step for students hoping to join one of the RWB School’s three full-time professional programs: Ballet Academic (grade 5 and up), Aspirant (post-secondary), and Teacher Training (post-secondary).

Auditions include a Q & A session as well as a master class in some cities. Students who are unable to attend an audition may submit a video application online, which will be accepted until May 1, 2019.

“The audition tour is an amazing opportunity to witness the incredible work that teachers of dance are doing across the country”, says Stéphane Léonard, RWB School interim director and aspirant program director. “We want to honour their amazing work, and help their pupils reach their highest potential. Aside from recruiting talented artists, the audition tour is a wonderful chance to connect with local dance communities through holding master classes for both auditioning and non-auditioning ballet students.”

Currently, an average of 70 percent of the RWB Company dancers are graduates of the RWB School, with over half of the RWB’s artistic school leadership being RWB School alumni.

“The teachers at the RWB School are part of my tapestry as an artist,” says Tara Birtwhistle, RWB School graduate, former RWB principal dancer and current associate artistic director. “They laid a solid foundation and gave me the confidence to push forward; their training allows dancers to become the artists they’re meant to be.”

Students who are identified as having potential for professional training during their audition are invited to attend Summer Session, which acts as the second phase of the audition process. Running throughout the month of July 2019 in Winnipeg, Summer Session allows students to experience life at the RWB first hand. After this month of intensive training, students who are deemed to be a fit for one of the RWB School’s professional programs will be accepted into Regular Session, running from September 2019 to June 2020.

The RWB School Professional Division Audition Tour has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada and the Manitoba Arts Council. The RWB School also gratefully acknowledges the support of our 2018/19 Audition Tour Presenting Sponsor: Investors Group.

A proud supporter of the RWB, Investors Group National Scholarship Program provides a scholarship to aspiring dancers across Canada. The scholarships enable recipients to attend the second phase of the audition process, four weeks of training at the RWB School, and a chance to earn a place in the full-time Professional Division program in Winnipeg.

“We are proud to continue our valued relationship with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, by recognizing the importance of the Audition Tour,” says Trevor Krahn, Director, Sponsorship & Community Engagement at Investors Group. “Our scholarship is an investment in the future of Canada’s aspiring dancers, who should be afforded every opportunity to pursue their dreams with confidence.”

2018/19 AUDITION TOUR CITY, DATE AND LOCATION INFORMATION

SASKATOON – WED. OCT 10/18
Brenda’s School of Baton and Dance
610 Clarence Avenue South
Saskatoon, SK S7H 2E2

EDMONTON – THURS. OCT 11/18
Ruth Carse Centre for Dance
11205 107 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5H 0Y2

CALGARY – FRI. OCT 12/18
McDonald-Wilson Dance Academy
5107 33 Street NW
Calgary, AB T2L 1V3

NANAIMO – SUN. OCT 14/18
Harbour Dance Studios, Inc.
139 Bastion Street
Nanaimo, BC V9R 3A2

KELOWNA - MON. OCT 15/18
Canadian School of Ballet
2303 Leckie Road
Kelowna, BC V1X 6Y5

VANCOUVER – TUES. OCT 16/18
Scotiabank Dance Centre
677 Davie Street
Vancouver, BC V6B 2G6

THUNDER BAY – WED. OCT 31/18
Art in Motion
115 Johnson Ave, 2nd floor
Thunder Bay, ON

TORONTO – THURS. NOV 1/18
Dance Teq Centre
226 Queen Street West, 2nd floor
Toronto, ON M5T 1Z6

ST. JOHN’S – FRI. NOV 2/18
Connie Parsons School of Dance
77 Portugal Cove Road
St. John’s, NL A1B 2M4

HALIFAX – SUN. NOV 4/18
Maritime Dance Academy
36 Duke Street
Bedford, NS B4A 2Z5

MONCTON - MON. NOV 5/18
DancEast
601 St. George Blvd
Moncton, NB E1E 2C2

OTTAWA – TUES. NOV 6/18
Greta Leeming School of Dance
1460 Merivale Road
Nepean, ON K2E 5P2

MINNEAPOLIS – SUN. JAN 13/19
Minnesota Dance Theatre & School
528 Hennepin Ave, 6th floor
Minneapolis, MN 55403

LONDON – SUN. JAN 20/19
Dance Steps
275 Colbourne Street
London, ON N6B 2S7

MONTRÉAL – MON. JAN 21/19
Les Studios
1435 rue de Bleury, suite 400
Montréal, QC H3A 2H7

WINNIPEG - FRI, JAN 25/19
RWB
380 Graham Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3C 4K2