I am incredibly fortunate to have grown up in Winnipeg with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. They are a world renowned company, and have played a crucial role in the development of ballet in Canada. Although the arts and culture section has been struggling for decades, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet never fails to give back to the community. For the last eight years, the RWB has staged Ballet in the Park- a free event that usually includes about an hour to an hour and half of dancing from their Recreational and Professional Divisions, and their main company. Held at an outdoor theatre in one of our large parks, it is an event that Winnipegers (and out-of-towners) of any age can enjoy and get to know the ballet a little bit more. This is what makes this year quite confusing.
They chose to show Going Home Star, a ballet that premiered last October, and is an examination of the effects of the residential school system. For more information on residential schools, the Wikipedia page here outlines the events and has some great suggested readings. Aboriginal children were taken from their families at incredibly young ages, placed in these schools run by the Catholic and Anglican churches (mostly Catholic). Physical, mental, and sexual abuse were common, and all elements of Aboriginal culture were repressed. As you can, one of the worst episodes in Canadian history. You can read the synopsis for the ballet here.
As a separate ballet, I think this is a huge step forward for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. However, I think that it is a poor choice for Ballet in the Park. There were children all around us, and the event is marketed for children. There was drug use, rape, and beatings with a whip, not to mention priests in bondage gear. I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone thought that this was appropriate for an event aimed even partially at children. Many parents left early on in Going Home Star, and I don’t blame them. I heard a young girl ask, “why is he on top of her?”- I’m sure that is never a question a parent wants to hear from their 5 year old. Ballet is often ignored and pushed to the background in favour of more popular media. I sincerely hope that Winnipegers will not start to pull away from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and that they will continue to support it.
Until tomorrow,
The Historian!
The Historian
2 thoughts on “Which ballet is appropriate for whom?”