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Starting tonight and going through to Friday June 9th, the Royal Winnipeg’s Ballet’s Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program will be showcasing their talents in a program that they call “On the Edge.”

Made up of young up-and-coming dancers,  the Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant program is home to  some of the best classically trained dancers in the country who are in the process of making the transition from student to professional dancers.

The program is made up of post graduate students who have graduated from ether the RWB’s Professional Division School or have achieved the same high standard of dance from other Ballet Schools around the world. The program helps young professional dancers to attain full time employment with a ballet company by ensuring that they are successful in the audition process. Additionally, they Aspirant program helps dancers navigate the ins-and -outs of what is means to be a dancer. Whether it is dietary or budget concerns, or simply dealing with the physical and mental stress and the rigor that a professional career demands.

The members of the Aspirant Program also get professional experience to put on their CVs. Vanessa Léonard is the program director for the Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program. As she explains, “They are involved in pretty much all of the big productions that the RWB Company does…so productions like Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, or the Nutcracker…the aspirants are involved in all of those to help fill out the Corps de Ballet.”

The “On the Edge” performances that are being performed this week by the Aspirants will feature excerpts from both classical ballet and contemporary dance. For Léonard these performances are extra special. “The thing I love about it the most is that it really shows their versatility. It is not only showcasing their classical ballet… it also shows their work in contemporary dance... we also have some tango and fandango dances in there,” states Léonard.

The first half of “On the Edge” will feature classical ballet. Excerpts from such ballet’s as “La Bayadere” and “The Fairy Doll” and others ballets will be performed. Then the second half of the program will consists of contemporary dance, with choreography done by a variety on choreographers. There are a total of six pieces in the contemporary dance portion.

One of the many “One the Edge” highlights is that one of the pieces has been choreographed by dancer and choreographer Portia Adams who is a dancer with the Monte Carlo Ballet Company. Another highlight is a piece has been choreographed by a member of the Aspirant program.

The Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program is the complete package. Professional dance and career development combined with vast flexibility of disciplines in all creative aspects of dance.

The “On the Edge” performances today, tomorrow and Friday are sure to be something really special; a visual spectacle not to be missed! All performances take place at 7:30pm at the Founders Studio which is located on the main floor of the RWB building on the corner of Edmonton and Graham. For more details go to their website

Live life On The Edge with the students of the Royal Winnipeg’s Ballet’s Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program.

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