RENOWNED BALLET SCHOOL LAUNCHES NORTH AMERICA-WIDE TOUR
Coming to Vancouver October 18
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School seeks next generation of professional dancers
Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Audition Tour 2019/20
Friday, October 18, 2019 in Vancouver
Scotiabank Dance Centre, Scotiabank Dance Centre, 677 Davie St
For full audition information, go to rwb.org/auditions, call 204-957-3467, or email school@nullrwb.org
Vancouver is one of 18 North American cities on Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s (RWB School) 2019 Audition Tour. The search is on for talented young artists with the potential to become professional dancers and dance teachers. RWB artistic faculty will kick-off the 2019-20 Audition Tour on October 16 in Kelowna, and make their way across Canada and into the United States, concluding in Thunder Bay on January 26. Over the duration of the tour approximately 700 hopeful dancers will audition for one of three full-time programs:
Ballet Academic (academic grade 6 and up). Aspirant (post-secondary), and Teacher Training (post-secondary) (see links for individual program detail below).
Auditions run one hour in length and are conducted in groups decided by age. Students must be entering academic grade 6 in September 2020 in order to audition. No previous training is required for young students and no special preparation is required for the class. In the audition, students will be led through barre and centre work, during which time they will be assessed on talent, aptitude for classical dance, flexibility, coordination, musicality, and artistry of motion. Full info is on the website.
Master classes are available in most locations and are open to auditioning and non-auditioning dancers alike. These classes present an excellent opportunity for dancers to step outside of their comfort zone and work with different teachers than those at their home studios. Participating in a new exercise or receiving direction from a new teacher can resonate in a stronger way.
Ballet Academic (academic grade 6 and up)
Aspirant (post-secondary), and Teacher Training (post-secondary).
For full audition information, go to rwb.org/auditions, call 204-957-3467, or email school@nullrwb.org
“We are preparing to celebrate 50 years as a world-class professional training centre. It’s important to build strong and versatile dancers, but the RWB School also believes in raising young people with a strong work ethic and leadership skills, and who excel in academics. It’s incredible to see children as young as 10 years old dedicate themselves to the study of classical ballet. I’m amazed by the students’ artistry, dedication, passion, and discipline every day,” says School Director Stéphane Léonard.
Auditions run one hour in length and are conducted in groups decided by age. Students must be entering academic grade 6 in September 2020 in order to audition. No previous training is required for young students and no special preparation is required for the class. In the audition, students will be led through barre and centre work, during which time they will be assessed on talent, aptitude for classical dance, flexibility, coordination, musicality, and artistry of motion.
“I myself was a late starter to dance, and was lucky enough to have a professional career in the industry. However, at the RWB School we know that starting at a young age gives dancers the best possible chance of success for a long and healthy career,” explains Leonard. “The experience of auditioning is something you never forget, regardless of your age or where your career takes you. It is a valuable because it allows you to discover and challenge yourself, build courage and learn to enjoy the journey.”
Master classes are available in most locations and are open to auditioning and non-auditioning dancers alike. These classes present an excellent opportunity for dancers to step outside of their comfort zone and work with different teachers than those at their home studios. Participating in a new exercise or receiving direction from a new teacher can resonate in a stronger way.
“The Audition Tour is a wonderful opportunity to build connections with dancers, teachers, and studio owners. It’s inspiring to see what people are doing in studios across North America and we are proud to be a part of it,” says Léonard.
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 gratefully acknowledges the support of our 2019/20 Audition Tour Presenting Sponsor: IG Wealth Management.
A proud supporter of the RWB, IG Wealth Management National Scholarship Program provides scholarships 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 one of the School’s full-year training programs in Winnipeg.
“We are so grateful for the support of our partners,” said School Managing Director Kate Fennell. “Companies like IG Wealth Management share our belief that young artists from coast to coast should have an opportunity to pursue their dreams, regardless of how far they may have to travel from home to make it happen. Through these scholarships and funding , IG Wealth Management is making professional training in the arts a little easier for Canadian families.
2019/20 AUDITION TOUR
CITY, DATE AND LOCATION INFORMATION
KELOWNA, BC | Wednesday, October 16, 2019 Canadian School of Ballet
2303 Leckie Rd
KELOWNA, BC
VICTORIA, BC | Thursday, October 17, 2019 Dance Victoria 2750 Quadra St VICTORIA, BC
VANCOUVER, BC | Friday, October 18, 2019 Scotiabank Dance Centre
677 Davie St VANCOUVER, BC
SEATTLE, WA | Sunday, October 20, 2019
Cornish College Of The Arts
1000 Lenora St SEATTLE, WA
CALGARY, AB | Monday, October 21, 2019
McDonald-Wilson Dance Academy
5107 33 Street NW CALGARY, AB
EDMONTON, AB | Tuesday, October 22, 2019 Edmonton School Of Ballet
8205 90 Ave NW EDMONTON, AB
REGINA, SK | Wednesday, October 23, 2019 Martin School Of Dance 520A 12 Ave E REGINA, SK
BRANDON, MB | Sunday, October 27, 2019
Brandon School Of Dance
126 10th St BRANDON, MB
CHARLOTTETOWN, PE | Sunday, November 3, 2019 Dance Stars Academy
13 Glen Stewart Dr STRATFORD, PE
MONCTON, NB | Monday, November 4, 2019
DancEast
601 St. George Blvd MONCTON, NB
HALIFAX, NS | Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Maritime Dance Academy
36 Duke St BEDFORD, NS
OTTAWA, ON | Thursday, November 7, 2019
Greta Leeming School Of Dance
1460 Merivale Rd NEPEAN, ON
TORONTO, ON | Friday, November 8, 2019
Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre
509 Parliament St TORONTO, ON
MINNEAPOLIS, MN | Sunday, January 12, 2020 Minnesota Dance Theatre & School
528 Hennepin Ave, 6th Floor MINNEAPOLIS, MN
LONDON, ON | Sunday, January 19, 2020
Dance Steps
275 Colbourne St C LONDON, ON
MONTRÉAL, QC | Monday, January 20, 2020
Ballet Montréal
54 Brunswick Blvd POINTE-CLAIRE, QC
(Morning)
Les Studios, Les Grands
Ballets Canadiens de MONTRÉAL, QC
(Afternoon)
WINNIPEG, MB | Friday, January 24, 2020
Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet
380 Graham AveWINNIPEG, MB
THUNDER BAY, ON | Sunday, January 26, 2020 Art In Motion
115 Johnson Ave, 2nd Floor THUNDER BAY, ON
About the 2019/20 Audition Tour
Each year the RWB School travels in search of talented dancers to join one of three full-time professional programs: Ballet Academic(academic grade 6 and up), Aspirant(post-secondary), and Teacher Training(post-secondary). Auditions are held in cities across Canada and in the United States from October to January,and include Q & A sessions as well as master class in some cities. Students who are unable to attend an audition may send in a Video Application, which will be accepted until May 1. Students who are identified as having potential for professional training will be invited to attend Summer Session which acts as the second phase of the audition process. Running throughout the month of July in Winnipeg, Summer Session allows students to experience life at the RWB School first hand. After this month of intensive training, students who are deemed to be a fit for one of the School’s professional programs will be accepted into Regular Session which runs from September to June. Follow the tour with #RWBSAuditions.
About Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division is well-known across the country and around the world for delivering excellence in dance education. Our state-of-the-art facility, located in the heart of historic downtown Winnipeg, is home to between 90 and 110 students enrolled annually in our full-time programs. We provide classical ballet training based on the Russian system and supported with a full program of study in complementary dance forms and health, wellness, and life skills. Our approach produces artists who have the flexibility to perform and teach a wide variety of dance styles and can enjoy long and fulfilling careers; it also produces responsible young adults who are well-rounded and creative, and who possess strong work ethics and leadership skills. The connection to the RWB Company and exposure to the Company’s artistic staff are among the RWB School’s many competitive advantages. Alumni have gone on to exciting careers in all facets of the dance industry around the world and make up approximately 70% of the RWB Company and over half of the RWB School’s artistic faculty.
For more information, go to rwb.org/auditions, call 204-957-3467, or email school@nullrwb.org
Media release and image provided by Gwen Kallio, Sisu Productions
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