Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/514227
61 DANCE on the EDGE Artistry, athleticism and audacity are hallmarks of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Canada's oldest ballet company, which launches its 76th season in 2015, strikes a fine balance between classical and innovative contemporary works, maintaining a tradition of excellence along with an adventurous streak that's given rise to original productions from Dracula to the annual treat that is the RWB's own Nutcracker, with hockey players, a comical brown bear and 12 polar pals. Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers ended its 50th season in May 2015 with a new work set to musical reinterpretations of Neil Young's 1974 album On the Beach. The collaborative company performs at its Exchange District theatre and at various events throughout the city. Multicultural dance troupes kick up their heels throughout the year. Founded in 1964, the Sarah Sommer Chai Folk Ensemble is North America's largest and oldest — and most vibrant — Israeli folk dance ensemble, with more than 40 dancers, singers and musicians who perform at Folklorama and other community events. Winnipeg is home to Western Canada's only African contemporary dance company NAfro, classical and modern Indian dance company Manohar Performing Arts of Canada and many more diverse companies, including Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, which hosts an annual Manitoba Ukrainian Dance Festival. > rwb.org > winnipegscontemporarydancers.ca > chai.mb.ca > nafrodance.ca > troyanda.com The Royal Winnipeg Ballet closes its season with a mixed program May 7-11, but company dancers often return for an encore during Ballet in the Park July 29-31. The free outdoor performances are the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's annual gift to the city. Historical figures, musicians, nudes and bears share a beautiful home in the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden at Assiniboine Park. Learn about the works in the Leo Mol Gallery, where you can peruse moulds and plaster casts. Nearby, the works of prominent Manitoba artists Ivan Eyre, Clarence Tillenius and Walter J. Phillips are featured at Assiniboine Park's Pavilion Gallery Museum, along with a hunny of a collection in The Pooh Gallery, which is devoted to Winnie the Pooh art and artifacts. > rwb.org > assiniboinepark.ca @stanmilosevic 61 Art in the Park arts Manitoba Moments Share your photos with us on Instagram with #ExploreMB