On the Edge Tour
Presenting Sponsor
Student Performances Supporter
Featuring members of the RWB School’s Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) School Aspirants will take the On the Edge Tour across Manitoba schools again this year, showcasing a stunning and powerful repertoire for audiences of all ages in performances hosted by schools and communities with repertoire ranging from classical ballet to contemporary and neo-classical.
The tour recalls the early days of the RWB, when Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally would take their fledgling ballet company on similar tours throughout the province. In many ways, the early tours helped establish the RWB in Manitoba.
About On the Edge Tour
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s On the Edge tour has sent dancers on the road to share the power of ballet and other dance forms with new audiences in schools and community spaces for almost 50 years. Pioneered by the RWB in 1945, the famous ‘one-night stand’ model of touring the Prairies in a single 48 passenger bus was adopted by the School in the early 1970s. The touring rig includes lighting and sound equipment and a portable dance floor framed by 20’ black velour legs. It’s all-hands-on-deck as two artistic faculty members, one company/stage manager, and twenty one dancers work together to transform the venue, sometimes a school gymnasium, into something resembling a theatre space in less than one hour. One thing that distinguishes School’s touring program is its impressive visual impact. Just like the Company before it, the School places the dancers front and centre, creating a spectacular performance for all to enjoy.
2024 Repertoire
The stars of tomorrow deliver exhilarating performances highlighting the versatility of the Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirants. Immerse yourself in an intimate and engaging series of performances delighting fans of classical and contemporary dance alike. From timeless classics to daring new creations, On the Edge will celebrate the artistic legacy of the RWB and André Lewis, O.M. and demonstrate the School’s continued innovation. The performance will include excerpts from the lively and charming classical ballet, Don Quixote, filled with romance, fun, and Spanish flair, as well as an excerpt from Rudi Van Dantzig’s beautifully haunting Four Last Songs. On the Edge will also feature modern creations by RWB School Resident Choreographer Gabriela Rehak, fiery flamenco from RWB School Artistic Faculty Maritel Centurion and a new work from former RWB Company Soloist Yosuke Mino. Meredith Rainey will also create a piece on the Aspirants. He last choreographed a piece for the RWB Company’s Fast Forward, commissioned through Pathways to Performance, a program in partnership with Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet designed to engage Black choreographers in a meaningful way with dance companies. Up-and-coming choreographer from the Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program, Grace Frazer-Sneddon, will also premiere Quit Clowning Around, a show-stopping solo originally created for the world-renowned Prix de Lausanne Young Creation Award competition.
Teachers, access the On the Edge Tour Study Guide below:
