Dance

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From hometown heroes to touring shows aplenty, Winnipeg’s ever-lively dance community celebrated both old and new in a year marked by diversity. Here are my top five picks.

1. The National Ballet of Canada: Celebrating 60 Glorious Years (Oct. 4, Centennial Concert Hall)
   
Canada’s venerable company received a hero’s welcome as it made a triumphant return to the city after more than a decade’s absence. The cutting-edge program of mixed repertoire showcased Crystal Pite’s tour de force Emergence that earned the Vancouver-bred choreographer four Doris Mavor Moore awards — but it was former NBC artistic director James Kudelka’s The Man in Black that completely lassoed hearts. Three dancers in cowboy boots stomped their way through the legendary Johnny Cash’s haunting music, recorded near the end of his life.

2. Q Dance (May 27 & 28, Rachel Browne Theatre )
   
Internationally acclaimed choreographer Peter Quanz keeps audiences on its toes by continuing to offer bold new ballet performed by his company Q Dance. His second-annual show performed by eight elite members of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet marked the first time that ballet has been presented at the intimate Rachel Browne Theatre. The mixed bill featured Quanz’ shimmering Luminous, which explores romantic relationships at different stages in life, as well as Yosuke Mino’s contemporary solo KOJI, which earned the company soloist second prize at Stuttgart’s prestigious International Solo Tanz Theater Festival last March.

3. Cabane: Fortier Danse-Création, presented by Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (Feb.  4 – 6, Rachel Browne Theatre)
   
Canadian dance royalty Paul-André Fortier brought his mythological-infused touring production to the city performed by himself with visual artist/writer/musician Rober Racine and filmmaker Robert Morin. The Montreal-based choreographer’s revisioning of physical space — in this case, a rustic wooden shack — and strongly evocative imagery included screaming birds, magical ballrooms and junkyard instruments used to create an industrial soundtrack. As Cabane explored relationships and human connection, it also showed us the transcendent power of artistic imagination by the hand of a true dance master at work.

4. Prairie Dance Circuit, presented by Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers (Oct. 28 & 29, Rachel Browne Theatre)
   
For the first time since its inception, this second annual touring production showcased five premieres by the Prairie Dance Circuit artistic directors themselves: Brian Webb, Robin Poitras, Davida Monk and Nicole Mion, as well as WCD artistic director Brent Lott, who birthed the initiative two years ago. The eclectic program of solos and duets included Webb’s harrowing 30% gone — choreographed after the Canadian dance innovator experienced a heart attack last October — as well as Lott’s inter-generational The Occasion of our Passing, performed with WCD company member Sarah Roche. We may not be any closer to figuring out what a "Prairie aesthetic" is, but the PDC continues to offer a fascinating ride.

5. Ordinary Acts (aceartinc., Nov. 24 & 25)
   
Far from ordinary, this independently produced show choreographed by local contemporary dancer Treasure Waddell wins the award for surprise sleeper of the year. The one-hour production inspired by poet Rainer Maria Rilke teemed with pure fluidity, performed by Waddell, Natasha Torres-Garner and Branwyn Bundon, with an abstract art installation by Brenna Klaverkamp. The no-frills production performed in the tiny gallery space proved you don’t need expansive budgets or mighty infrastructures to let creative voice roar.