2020 is a year of ghosts- things that should have happened. I try not to dwell on the things that have been postponed and cancelled- it doesn’t help me feel better. However, I am doing my best to keep celebrating the things that I love. And ballet is one of those things. Ballet in the Park is one of Winnipeg’s best traditions, it is my favourite day of the whole summer. Unfortunately, there was no safe way to hold it. So, I’ve decided to share some of my favourite Ballet in the Park memories from the last years, to celebrate it!
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet hosts Ballet in the Park in the last week of July every summer (when everything allows, of course) at the Lyric Theatre at Assiniboine Park here in Winnipeg.. The Recreational Division students perform a piece, Professional Division students perform a piece and do a technique demonstration, and the company performs either a full-length shorter piece, or an excerpt of a longer ballet. And all of it is free!
A Cinderella Story, 2016
Remember when families gathered around the television set on a Saturday night? That era, the 1950’s, is the setting for Val Caniparoli’s A Cinderella Story, a retro retelling of everybody’s favourite fairy tale.
Experience this unique take on the old-age story complete with vintage couture-inspired costumes, electric choreography melded with Richard Rodgers’ music, all arranged for a live jazz orchestra by legendary Winnipeg bandleader Ron Paley.
A Cinderella Story is one of my favourite ballets- the classic fairy tale works perfectly with jazz, and the costumes are perfect. I normally adore ballet costumes, but I think that these are still so striking and work so well for the ballet while still using 1960s styles and trends. In the video above, you can see the choreographer discussing his inspiration for the production!
Celts, 2017
Lia York’s Celts is an incredible piece- it mixes ballet, contemporary, modern, and Irish folk dance, set to Irish music. It is a shorter piece, roughly 25 minutes, so it was performed in full. York created it for the Boston Ballet in the mid 1990s, and I’m thrilled that it is still be performed now!
The Wizard of Oz, 2019
The Wizard of Oz premiered in Winnipeg in May of 2019, and it is a spectacle from start to finish! The company showed a few very short excerpts at Ballet in the Park 2018, but at Ballet in the Park 2019, we got to see the Yellow Brick Road and Emerald City! The clip below is one of my favourite points in the ballet (with some truly incredible string music).
Just like Ballet in the Park, what cultural events are you excited to get back to?
Cheers,
The Historian
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