“Plié, one, two and three. Raise the arms, one, two, three.”
And so go typical commands from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School at its annual cross-country audition tour in search of new talent.
RWB is one of the world’s premier dance companies founded in 1939. It is Canada’s oldest ballet troupe and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America.
This year, the school’s professional division hosts auditions for the 2019 summer program at Edmonton’s Ruth Carse Centre for Dance on Thursday, Oct. 11.
The auditions are a first step to joining RWB’s three full-time professional programs: ballet academic (Grade 5 and up), aspirant (post-secondary), and teacher training.
“We want to honour the amazing work, and help pupils reach their highest potential,” said Stéphane Léonard, RWB School interim director and aspirant program director.
“Aside from recruiting talented artists, the audition tour is a wonderful chance to connect with local dance communities through holding master classes for both auditioning and non-auditioning ballet students.”
Earning a berth at the prestigious school is very competitive. It is also very rewarding as St. Albert’s Ryley Krauss will attest.
Back in 2013, the 13-year-old teenager auditioned for the summer program. During the summer intensive, she was recommended for the year-long program. Packing her leotards, she took a road trip to Winnipeg with her mother and has lived her dream. Today, she is a semi-professional aspirant training with the company.
“Coming to the school jump-started my career. It made me realize who I wanted to be as a dancer. It’s a good first step. If people see that you’ve trained at a professional school, it puts you one step closer to where you want to go,” said Krauss.
Up until this year, the budding ballerina lived in residence complete with an adjoining school for half-day classes and a cafeteria serving healthy meals.
“I’ve had several roommates throughout the years,” she said. “A lot of people aren’t strong enough mentally or physically. Personally I’ve never had a doubt.”
Ballet puts a great deal of strain on the body, and the school emphasizes the development of a strong body and how to care for it. In equal measure it also assists dancers refine the ability to convey emotion, compassion and artistry.
“I learned to be independent. I grew up quickly and had to learn teamwork,” added Krauss.
She also adds a few words of wisdom for the next generation of dancers.
“If you truly love ballet, this is a great place to come because you do it all the time. When you audition, don’t be afraid to stand out. Be yourself and smile. They like to know you are happy when you dance. Don’t worry. They’ll tell you what to do. If you have the drive, if you really want it, they will see it.
For more information, visit www.rwb.org.
