The Royal Winnipeg Ballet went out with a bang Thursday night, as it did what it’s done best throughout its illustrious 85-year history: present blockbuster ballets while championing new works by cutting-edge new choreographers.
Audiences were treated to two contemporary works during the final offering in the company’s Living the Dream season, which has celebrated the legacy of longtime artistic director André Lewis all year long.
It’s been six years since we’ve seen Argentine choreographer Mauricio Wainrot’s monumental Carmina Burana, originally commissioned by the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium in 1998, and given its Canadian première by the RWB in 2002. The 55-minute work never fails to get the heart pumping with its high-octane blend of athletic and sensual choreography exploding with joy.
DANIEL CRUMP PHOTO
Carmina Burana returns to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet stage.
Guest soloists include soprano Andrea Lett, tenor Nolan Kehler and baritone Matthew Pauls, along with local choral groups Prairie Voices and the Winnipeg Boys Choir, all joined by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, with RWB principal conductor Julian Pellicano impeccably leading the combined forces through Carl Orff’s electrifying score.
The production features Carlos Gallardo’s architecturally inspired sets, with large, wheeled
