RWB - Key Persons
Aimee Brasko joined Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's Artistic Faculty in 2002 after many successful years of dance training and teaching in Manitoba. The winner of numerous national and provincial scholarships, Ms. Brasko loves sharing her unique knowledge and enthusiasm for dance with the RWB Recreational Division's tap and jazz classes. Ms. Brasko is a competitive performer and choreographer, who has shared her talents with companies province-wide, including choreographing numerous scholarship award winning pieces for the Manitoba Provincial Dance Festival, performing with local vocalist Jackie Shaw, and judging for the Red River Exhibition's Kidz Quest Junior Talent Search. Ms. Brasko is currently the Assistant Entertainment Coordinator for the Czech & Slovak Pavilion at Winnipeg's Folklorama.
Throughout her extensive training, Ms. Brasko has been awarded numerous accolades. She has been dancing since the age of four, first with Doreen Bissett School of Dance, then Rising Star Academy and finally the RWB School Recreational Division, where she studied every discipline. Ms. Brasko has also completed numerous dance exams at the highest levels under the ADAPT syllabus. In addition to her dance training, Ms. Brasko holds a B.A., majoring in Psychology, as well as a master's degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Manitoba.
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Bev Davies recently retired from IGM Financial Inc., where as Vice-President Enterprise Risk Management, she led the Risk Management department for IGM Financial and its subsidiaries, including IG Wealth Management in Winnipeg and Mackenzie Investments and Investment Planning Counsel in Toronto.
Job Titles:
- Choreographer in Residence
- Choreographer in Residence / Production
- Director of the Winnipeg Summer Dance Collective
- Member of the Tla'Amin First Nation
Cameron Fraser-Monroe (he/him) is a member of the Tla'amin First Nation. At three years old he started Ukrainian dancing in Vernon, BC. He was privileged to receive several years of training and performance with World Champion Hoop Dancer Dallas Arcand and studied Grass Dance with Elder Mollie Bono.
Since graduating from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School on the RWB Alumni Scholarship, he has performed with many companies including Red Sky Performance at Jacob's Pillow Festival, Dancers of Damelahamid at the Banff Centre and the International Cervantino Festival, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet at the National Arts Centre, and with the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada.
As a choreographer Fraser-Monroe has received commissions from the National Ballet of Canada, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet Kelowna, the Winnipeg Summer Dance Collective, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Aspirants, Artist's Climate Collective, Transformation Cabaret at the Cultch, and both PULSE and Indigenous Day Live! on APTN. He continues to practice and present Hoop Dance.
For the past five years Fraser-Monroe has served as Artistic Director of the Winnipeg Summer Dance Collective, making dance more accessible in downtown Winnipeg. In 2022, he joined Ballet Kelowna as their first Artist in Residence for their 20th season. During the 2023-24 season, Fraser-Monroe joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet as their Choreographer in Residence to create new work for you today.
Born in New York City, Caroline Gruber moved to London, England at the age of four. She trained at the Royal Ballet School in London until she was 17 before moving to Paris to complete her ballet training with a teacher from the Paris Opera.
Following graduation, Gruber spent six years dancing with the Het Nationale Ballet, the largest ballet company in The Netherlands. She joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1988, and danced lead roles in Nutcracker, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. In one of her final performances in 2000, she performed Sir Frederick Ashton's Brahms Waltzes in the manner of Isadora Duncan.
Gruber joined the teaching faculty at the RWB in 2007, working extensively with Company dancers, and lending her knowledge to the staging of classical repertoire such as Nutcracker and Swan Lake. She also works with both the Recreational and Professional divisions of the RWB School, coaching students and setting repertoire as well as working directly with the Aspirants program.
Most recently she served as a guest ballet master with Edmonton Citie Ballet, guest classical teacher at the Vancouver Ballet Society Spring Seminar, judged ballet competitions in Moose Jaw, and the North Island of Performing Arts in BC, and taught at the Cecchetti Ballet Society Seminar. Having studied under Anne Green-Gilbert, Pioneer of the Brain Dance, Gruber is qualified to teach Creative Movement, adding to her extensive credentials.
As a teacher, Gruber understands the power of teachers to influence a dancer's development. On a personal level, she credits a number of excellent teachers who have influenced her own work and creativity. She cites such notable teachers as Nancy Kilgour, M. Messerer, Eileen Ward, Ivan Kramer, Irina Jacobson, Homer Bryant, David Moroni, Truman Finney, Evelyn Hart, Lindsay Fischer, and Jean Yves Esquerre.
In addition to her ongoing work with the dancers, Gruber works with the organization in a number of areas, assisting with fund development, student outreach and the committee for RWB's annual Ballet Ball.
When Cheryl Scott joined the Artistic Faculty of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in 2013, she brought with her a wealth of teaching experience gathered from training and working across Canada. Ms. Scott has studied virtually all forms of dance technique including ballet, modern, jazz, acrobatics, tap, highland dance and national dance, which she now shares with students of the Recreational Division. Originally from Thunder Bay, she began her training at Experience Dance and then went on to study at Canada's National Ballet School Teacher Training Program, where she obtained her Associate Certificate with Cecchetti Canada and graduated with distinction.
Ms. Scott also holds a Bachelor and Master's degrees of Fine Art in Dance from York University. Ms. Scott was employed full time at Canada's National Ballet School upon completion of her master's degree and taught throughout the Teacher Training Program, the Associate's Program, the Professional Ballet Program and the Adult Ballet program. She incorporates her skills in Body Conditioning with a focus on the work developed by Irene Dowd, into her imaginative classes to supplement her students' artistic development.
Job Titles:
- Company Managing Director
Ms. Thiessen knew that teaching dance was her calling and a year after finishing high school, she was accepted into the RWB's Teacher's Course Program. She graduated after 3 years of training with having completed several exams which included her Associate designation from the Imperial Society of the Teachers of Dance - Cecchetti Branch, as well as passing her jazz exams in the Brian Foley ADAPT Syllabus. She then moved to Indiana to take over the Ballet and Jazz programs as well as teaching Tap and Beginner Tumbling at Newburgh Academy of Dance and Performing Arts School.
After 2 years in Indiana, Debra moved back to Winnipeg, and began teaching again for the RWB's Recreational Program. Her experience in Indiana with choreographing for festivals and competitions helped her to do the same for the Jazz Workshop and Ballet Workshop classes at the RWB. Her dedication showed in her students as they continue to receive passing marks in their Ballet, Jazz, and Tap exams and receiving awards and scholarships at festivals and competitions. But Ms. Thiessen didn't stop with her students, she also continued her training and was awarded her Licentiate with the Cecchetti Society of Canada in 2003.
She is a versatile and accomplished teacher, whose experience in many dance disciplines and levels has enabled her to work in Canada, United States, and England.
For the past 3 years, Ms. Debra has been living in England with her family where she spent most of her time travelling throughout Europe, volunteering at her children's school, and enjoying being a stay-at-home mom. She, however, could not forget her dance roots and worked with the school's Head Master and teachers and helped implement a "Shake Awake" dance program that stimulates the brain in preparation to learn. She also choreographed for the school's various plays, fundraisers, and other performing events.
Before moving to England, Ms. Thiessen and her family lived in Illinois for 5 years. While there she took a much needed break from working to help her family transition as well as give birth to her second child. She later went to teach full time with the Peoria Ballet where she taught ballet, pointe, jazz, and tap as well as workshop classes in lyrical, modern, and hip hop. Ms. Debra enjoyed working alongside the company's Artistic Director and School Director in auditions and rehearsals for with their version of The Nutcracker and choreographed for year-end shows.
Debra's contagious energy and enthusiasm is evident as her students continue to learn and strive for more. She only hopes to open the door to a vast world of dance to all those who want to learn.
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Don Leitch was elected Chair of the Board of Directors of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) in June 2017. Don is currently the Clerk of Executive Council, the Deputy Minister to the Premier, Secretary of Cabinet and Head of Manitoba's Public Service, a position he previously held for over eleven years.
Don served as a Deputy Minister in British Columbia with responsibility for economic development, international investment and trade, small business, and tourism. He also led the initiative to establish Travel Alberta as a Crown Corporation and was its first CEO. More recently, Don served as President and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba from 2014-2020.
In addition, Don brings a wealth of volunteer experience having worked on numerous boards, commissions, and task forces provincially and nationally, including the boards of the Forks-North Portage Development Corporation, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Poverty Reduction Council at the United Way of Winnipeg. For over a decade, Don has also served on the International Advisory Committee of the RWB.
He was awarded the 2000 Lieutenant Governor's Gold Medal for Excellence in Public Administration (Manitoba), and the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal.
Don earned a Master's degree in Natural Resources Management and a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Manitoba.
Job Titles:
- Principal Pianist / Pianiste Principale De L'École
- Principal Pianist / Pianiste Principale De L'École / Professional Division Faculty
Donna Laube has been keeping the students of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in tempo as Principal Pianist since 2006. During that time, she has also been invited to perform with the Winnipeg Philharmonic Choir, the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, and is active as a freelance musician.
Ms. Laube has performed as a soloist and orchestral pianist for RWB Company productions with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and the National Arts Centre Orchestra in several productions including: The Princess and the Goblin; The Handmaid's Tale; Svengali; and as orchestral keyboardist in Wonderland, Nutcracker, Romeo + Juliet, Going Home Star and Carmina Burana. One of her most memorable appearances was performing at the premier of Jorden Morris' box-office hit Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet along with a member of Quartetto Gelato. In May 2014, she had the exciting opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra where she played orchestral piano alongside percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie in a percussion concerto written by then WSO Composer-in-Residence Vincent Ho.
Ms. Laube holds a Bachelor of Music (Performance) from Brandon University, and a Master of Music (Piano Accompaniment) from McGill University. She furthered her training through various summer programs which took her from Alberta to Austria, where she received intense coaching and performance opportunities in both the German Lied and in the operatic field. While in Austria, Ms. Laube had the good fortune to work with renowned musicians including singer Elly Ameling. In Edmonton during the summer of 2006, Ms. Laube studied operatic accompaniment at ‘Opera Nuova' working specifically with Offenbach's opera ‘La Perichole' and other vocal songs/operatic arias.
During her time studying in Montréal, Ms. Laube appeared on CBC Radio Two as both a chamber musician and choral accompanist. She has also performed as a soloist and as an accompanist at provincial and national competitions. In addition, Ms. Laube served as staff accompanist for three summers at the Camp musical des laurentides in Québec.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Dr. Natalie Richardson obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree at the University of Detroit Mercy in Michigan in 2016. Natalie has been practicing for over seven years and is continually expanding her education portfolio with a focus in pediatrics.
As a newcomer to Winnipeg (from Ontario) in 2020, Natalie was motivated to explore her new home and has since joined the associates at the WAG as an executive, as well as committees for WAG development and the Manitoba Dental Foundation. The arts have such a presence and impact in Winnipeg, that she is honoured to be a part of this vibrant community.
On a personal level, Natalie is married to her husband Thor who is a life-long supporter of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Natalie and Thor have a 1 year old son who they look forward to sharing many ballets with.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chief of Protocol
- CVO
- Government and Media Relations Consultant
- Member of the Order of Manitoba
Dwight MacAulay is currently a government and media relations consultant, as well as a protocol adviser. He was the Chief of Protocol for the Government of Manitoba for close to 20 years and served as the Chief of Protocol for the Government of South Australia from 2006-08.
A native of Killarney, Manitoba, he attended Brandon University (Science) followed by a career in radio and television news broadcasting before joining the Manitoba Government in 1980.
As Chief of Protocol, Dwight organized and worked on several Royal visits - including those of Her Majesty The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall (Charles & Camilla). He also served as Secretary to the Order of Manitoba Advisory Council (Manitoba's highest honour) and was a key advisor to the Premier with respect to The Order of the Buffalo Hunt.
In 2002, he was honoured with the Governor General's Golden Jubilee Medal in honour of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Later that same year, he was invested as a Lieutenant in the Royal Victorian Order (L VO) by Her Majesty The Queen when She visited Manitoba as part of the Golden Jubilee Visit to Canada. Dwight is one of only two Manitobans in the history of the province to ever receive this honour.
In 2010, The Queen elevated Dwight to the position of Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO)-and is the only Manitoban to ever receive such an honour. The CVO is the highest possible rank attainable in Canada in the Royal Victorian Order. In 2012 he was awarded The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal by the Canadian Private Secretary to The Queen.
In 2013 he received the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Award and in 2014 was honoured as Citizen of the Year by the Manitoba Chapter of the St. Andrew's Society.
Dwight is actively working to develop a music hall of fame for the province of Manitoba which will hopefully open in 2022. He is also involved in a movement to establish a statue on the grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building to recognize the contributions of the First Nations to the founding of Manitoba and the development of Western Canada.
Currently, Dwight is a member of the Order of Manitoba Advisory Council, Vice-President of the Manitoba Chapter of the Royal Commonwealth Society and serves on the boards of the St. Andrew's Society, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, St. John's Ambulance, the Manitoba Museum, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Winnipeg Chinese Cultural Centre, and the Manitoba Historical Society. He also serves on the Senate of the Fort Garry Horse Regiment; the CN Community Board and is President of the Intrepid Society. In 2019 he was selected to serve as a member of the federal Judicial Advisory Committee for the Province of Manitoba. He is also past president of the Winnipeg Press Club, the oldest press club in Canada and third oldest in the world
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance & Administration
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Co - Founder and Director of the Contemporary Dance Centre TsEKh
- Producer of Dance Umbrella of Ontario
Elena Tupyseva is an innovative, dedicated and proven leader with over 20 years of experience in managing performing arts organizations and projects. Born in Moscow (Russia), she has been a producer, curator and arts leader in the field of contemporary dance and ballet since 1999.
Education
Tupyseva earned a Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Management, Royal Roads University, 2022, a Master's Degree in Performing Arts Management, State Academy of Theatre Arts, Russia, 2005 and a Master's Degree in Law, State University of Oil and Gas, Russia, 1998
Tupyseva became co-founder and director of the Contemporary Dance Centre TsEKh (Moscow) in 2001. Primary projects included the International Contemporary Dance Festival TsEKh and the International Contemporary Dance Summer School. From 2000 to 2021, Elena was a Russian partner of the European Dance Network Aerowaves.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- PD Artistic Faculty / Pilates Teacher
Elizabeth Lamont was promoted to Principal in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company in 2022. She joined the RWB Company as an Apprentice in 2010, and was promoted to the Corps de Ballet in 2011, to Second Soloist in 2014, and to Soloist in 2019.
Ms. Lamont made her principal role debut as Offred in The Handmaid's Tale while in the Corps. Other major roles include Nathalie in Moulin Rouge® - The Ballet, the Bluebird pas de deux in The Sleeping Beauty, Edith in Greg Horsman's La Bayadère, and Glinda the Good Witch in the 2019 Canadian premiere of Septime Webre's The Wizard of Oz. She was selected by James Kudelka to perform the show-stopping Summer lead in his ballet The Four Seasons.
Working with Evelyn Hart recently on creating her own unique adaptation of the legendary The Dying Swan solo is a highlight of her career. In 2019, Ms. Lamont reprised the iconic role of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and has performed it across Canada as well as on tour in China. For Ms. Lamont, performing the role of Juliet is something she cherishes the most in her career because of its combination of emotion and expression with ballet steps.
Born in Waterloo, Ontario, Ms. Lamont began training at the age of four, and joined the RWB School Professional Division at the age of 14. Additionally, Ms. Lamont was coached by Evelyn Hart in Toronto for many years on the Company's summer break. She graduated from the RWB School Professional Division in 2010 and immediately joined the company as an Apprentice. She was also featured in a Bravo documentary series on her time in the RWB School while she learned and performed the role of Clara in Nutcracker with the RWB Company.
When she's not dancing, Ms. Lamont enjoys teaching pilates and sharing her passion and experience with emerging talent. She collects memories in her One Line a Day journal and loves to write. She enjoys documentaries, plants and adventures outdoors including camping, hiking and rock climbing.
Ms. Lamont would love to dance the role of Giselle. She feels that the ballet Giselle has the expressive, romantic, ethereal qualities that she enjoys so much about the art form of ballet.
Ella Rumak began teaching in the RWB School Recreational Division in 2022 and teaches Hip-Hop, Acro, Creative Movement and Movers and Shakers.
She enjoys attending hip-hop workshops and masterclasses and is currently a member of Sikat Dance Company. Ms. Rumak enjoys the creativity and freedom that dance provides her and she aims to share this passion with her students while helping them grow in an encouraging and positive environment.
Ms. Rumak was born in Winnipeg and began dancing at the age of two. Training competitively, Ms. Rumak danced at Marquis Dance Academy, L.I.V.E. Dance Centre, Ikigai Collective, and Sikat Dance Company where she studied and competed in many styles of dance including ballet, pointe, jazz, acro, tap, lyrical, contemporary and musical theatre.
Ms. Rumak's accomplishments include numerous scholarships and bursaries including Triple Threat Dance Convention's Ballroom Scholarship and Manitoba Dance Festival's Acro Scholarship. She has completed several courses in the RWB School Teacher Training Program.
Emily Bergen was part of the RWB School Faculty from 2017-2019, and rejoined the team in 2023. She has taught at DanceFusion Academy of Dance, as well as Footworks Dance Academy in Edmonton.
Ms. Bergen was born and raised in Winnipeg and began her dance training at the age of five in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. She has trained in contemporary, modern, ballet, jazz, and lyrical and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Dance from Brigham Young University. Ms. Bergen received the A. Gary Hopkinson Dance Scholarship in 2016.
As a teacher, one of her biggest highlights has been connecting with her students and watching them grow as dancers and as humans. She enjoys seeing her dancers' excitement and success, particularly in a competitive environment.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair
- Vice - Chair of the Board of Directors
Dr. Ernest Cholakis obtained his DMD (Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry) in 1982 from the University of Manitoba and his MBA in 2003 from the University of Chicago, Booth Graduate School of Business.
Dr. Cholakis is the founder and managing partner of Manitoba's largest interdisciplinary dental and oral systemic group that cares for over 30,000 patients in multiple clinics in Winnipeg.
Academically, he is an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of Dental Practice Management Studies and was the Founding Chairperson of the Dean's Advisory Board, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Manitoba. In 2010 he received a University Award for teaching excellence.
Dr. Cholakis is a double recipient of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Diamond Jubilee Medal for his "significant professional achievements and philanthropic contributions to the province of Manitoba" in 2012.
In 2020, Cholakis was awarded the Manitoba 150 Medal for his contributions to dental health and his advocacy for the arts.
From 2014 to 2022, Dr. Cholakis served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Winnipeg Art Gallery.
Job Titles:
- School Resident Choreographer / Chorégraphe Résidente De L'École
Born in Prague, Czech Republic and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Gabriela Rehak had the opportunity to study at Grant MacEwan College and in Winnipeg with the School of Contemporary Dancers Senior Professional Program, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours in affiliation with The University of Winnipeg. Gabriela received training with Ruth Cansfield Dance, and was an independent dancer with Trip Dance Company in Winnipeg, with EDAM in Vancouver as well as Les Groupe De Place Royal in Ottawa. Gabriela was a Company dancer with Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers under the direction of Tom Stroud for many seasons.
Her choreographic credits include Down and Out and Force of Nature: Earth for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School year-end showcase, and the works Let Me Be, Battle, A Song For You, Seven, Face, Caution Children At Play, Human Behaviours, Deep Roots, A Beautiful Lie, as well as Adieu in the RWB Company's Fast Forward 2022. She also lends her talents to the Professional Divisions Choreographic Competition, as the First Steps Artistic Coordinator.
Ms Rehak has been a teacher and choreographer with the RWB since 2005 and is currently the School Resident Choreographer; she has also held the position of Artistic Director with the Rozmai Dance Company for 23 years. A student of character and folk dance, modern dance, improvisation, composition and creation, contact improv, voice and text for stage, Ms Rehak has been lauded by the Canada Council, Manitoba Arts Council, and Winnipeg Arts Council; received BC Arts grants and bursaries and has received scholarships in both BC and Alberta.
Gabriella Janus joined the RWB School Faculty in 2022 and teaches ballet and creative movement.
Born in Winnipeg, Ms. Janus began her dance training in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Recreational Division at the age of three with Nicole Kepp, Katrin Benedictson and Kelly Bale. She has trained in ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, tap and musical theatre.
Ms. Janus is working towards completing her Cecchetti Associate Exam in the RWB School Teacher Training Program and has completed the Deaf Arts Manitoba - New Rhythm Dance Teacher Certificate. She is currently a student at the University of Winnipeg working towards a Bachelor of Arts in French Studies with a Minor in Dance. As a student in the recreational Division, Ms. Janus received the Teaching Assistant Award as well as the Kally Kennedy Scholarship while in the Teacher Training Program.
As a student of the RWB School, Ms. Janus had the opportunity to visit New York and take classes at the Broadway Dance Centre, Alvin Ailey and ABT and she carries this inspiration with her into her teaching.
Grace Bell joined the RWB School Faculty in 2023. Notable achievements for Ms. Bell are choreographing for RWB School Professional Division's First Steps and receiving the Kally Kennedy scholarship twice as a student in the Teacher Training Program.
Born in Morden, Ms. Bell began her dance training at the age of three. She trained in the RWB School Recreational Division and has a year of training in the School's Teacher Training Program. Ms. Bell has trained in ballet, hip hop, modern, character, contemporary, and Irish and has completed the Deaf Arts Manitoba- New Rhythm dance teacher certificate.
Ms. Bell has been inspired by opportunities to perform in Ballet in the Park, at the Human Rights Museum, in Folklarama and at Sharing Dance Day.
Gregory McGlenning was born in Toronto, Ontario but grew up in Winnipeg. He began dancing at 8 years old at Doreen Bissett School of dance. Training competitively until age 20 he also danced at Rising Star Academy and Marquis Dance Academy where he graduated from the Marquis Dance Academy Intensive Program.
Jacqui Ladwig is a leading light in the field of dance understanding and accessibility. A graduate of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division, Ms. Ladwig has gone on to share her knowledge with students at every level of the RWB School and Teacher Training Program, as well as reaching into the community to share her expertise. Ms. Ladwig held the position of Principal of the Recreational Division from 1998 to 2005, and currently teaches adults, teens, as well as the RWB ExplorAbility programs. Ms. Ladwig also works at the University of Winnipeg's Faculty of Kinesiology as a contract faculty member.
In 2009 Ms Ladwig developed the ExplorAbility movement program for adults with disabilities for the RWB School. This program incorporates dance, music and fitness in a program designed for individuals with varying movement abilities. Through her web-based business, Access Dance for Life, Ms. Ladwig also offers this specialized programming to children, youth and adults through her own community programs and programming for S.P.I.K.E. and Options, Pathways, and Transitions, Inc. day programs, as well as the Rehabilitation Centre for Children, and the Manitoba Wheelchair Sport Association.
A life-long learner, Ms. Ladwig holds an Associate Diploma certificate with the Cecchetti Society of Canada, and is currently a graduate student at the University of Manitoba pursuing a PhD. in Applied Health Sciences with a focus on Motor Learning and Control in relation to dance and disability. Her research expands on her experience teaching the ExplorAbility programs.
Ms. Ladwig has had the honor of adjudicating dance festivals across western Canada, and has guest taught on behalf of the RWB School in South Africa (2003). She has also taught workshops for the Manitoba S.A.G conferences (1997-2001). Ms. Ladwig is particularly proud of the weeklong ‘Literacy through Dance' project developed with Marion Elementary School which involves students and faculty of the school, as well as the student teachers from the RWB Teacher Training Program.
Born in Mexico City, Mexico, Jaime Vargas began his dance training when he was 14 years old, at the Centro de Arte y Ballet in his hometown. He graduated with a RAD designation with honors and received the prestigious Solo Seal. Vargas also studied at the London Studio Centre in London, England, as well as the Australian Ballet School where he graduated from his classical ballet studies.
Vargas received countless scholarships and grants that gave him the opportunity to travel the world and continue his studies. He made his professional debut in 1989 with the Compania Nacional de Danza in Mexico City and has since performed with many companies.
As a dancer, Vargas has competed internationally and has won several awards, including the Silver Medal during the Fifth International Dance Festival in Paris, France (1992). He has been praised for his contribution to the Arts by international critics as well as the Mexican Government. One of Vargas' most significant milestones was organizing, along with Danza Sin Fronteras and INBA, a shared performance between the RWB and Compañia Nacional de Danza de Mexico, held in Mexico City in the prestigious Palacio de Bellas Artes.
At the same time he began studying dance in Mexico Vargas began his teaching career, as older students were responsible in teaching the younger dancers. During his time with Mexico's National Company, Vargas ran rehearsals and worked with soloists.
Vargas joined the RWB as a Principal dancer in July of 2004. During his time with the RWB, Vargas danced many leading roles including Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Captain Hook in Jorden Morris' Peter Pan and the title role in Mark Godden's Dracula. Vargas retired from the RWB Company in 2011 and joined the Artistic Staff as Ballet Master. In 2012, Vargas added Community Outreach Coordinator to his title and has worked to create outreach programming which he has delivered successfully in Winnipeg and across Canada.
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing and Communications
- MEDIA INQUIRIES
Job Titles:
- Teacher Training Program Director / Directrice Du Programme De Formation Des Enseignants
Since 1984, Johanne Gingras has been an integral part of Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet School after joining the Artistic Faculty as a ballet teacher. She was instrumental in developing the RWB School Teacher Training Program curriculum and was named Director of the program in 1997. Ms. Gingras' goal continues to be instilling a passion for technique and artistry in the next generation of dance teachers. Alongside her role as Teacher Training Program Director, she also teaches ballet, pointe, character and repertoire to students of the RWB School Professional Division, and conducts auditions and teaches master classes during the annual RWB School Audition Tour.
Ms. Gingras had the wonderful opportunity to perform with the RWB School Professional Division in their production of La Sylphide, where she worked on the character role "Madge" with the brilliant Eva Evdokimova. She then performed professionally with the RWB Company as Juliet's nurse in their production of Romeo + Juliet.
Originally from Chicoutimi, Québec, Ms. Gingras began her dance training at the Académie de Danse du Saguenay where she performed in a multi dance discipline troupe, dance and sang in several operettas before following her passion for teaching. She is a graduate of Canada's National Ballet School Teacher Training Program and she holds Licentiate teaching qualifications with Cecchetti Canada and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.
Ms. Gingras has been invited to teach across North America and in Japan. In 2003, she travelled to South Africa to teach on behalf of the RWB School. For the past twenty years Ms. Gingras has also been in high demand as an adjudicator for festivals and competitions across Canada and internationally; most recently for the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix in New York and Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland.
After more than thirty five years of teaching, Ms. Gingras' greatest joy is to see the students she nurtures graduate and go on to dance careers in companies around the world, or, as teachers who carry on her work by sharing their enthusiasm for instructing technique and artistry to the next generation of artists.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Music Director & Principal Conductor
Job Titles:
- Director of Production / Professional Division Artistic
Job Titles:
- Director of People Services
Job Titles:
- Recreational Division Vice Principal, Professional Division Artistic Faculty / Directrice Adjointe De L'École, Division Récréati / Professional Division Faculty ( FR )
Job Titles:
- Professional Division Vice - Principal / Directrice Adjointe De L'École, Division Professionnelle
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Recreational Division Principal / Directrice De L'École
Job Titles:
- Corporate Partnerships Manager / Interim Director of Development
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Multimedia & Communications Strategist
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- School Director / Directeur D'École
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL
Job Titles:
- Professional Division Principal / Directrice De L'École, Division Professionnelle
Job Titles:
- Associate Artistic Director
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Member of the HONOURARY COUNCIL