A Homecoming: Royal Winnipeg Ballet Returns to Vancouver

After a decade-long absence from Vancouver stages (save for their beloved annual Nutcracker), Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet is making a triumphant return this February with a double bill that bridges continents and cultures, classical virtuosity and Indigenous storytelling.

On Feb. 9 and 10 at the Centre Vancouver, audiences will experience two electrifying works: the company's signature interpretation of Carmina Burana, a modern classic that has captivated audiences for over two decades, paired with the West Coast premiere of T'əl: The Wild Man of the Woods, an Indigenous-led ballet that brings ancient oral tradition to contemporary dance.

Primal energy meets sensual virtuosity

The evening opens with Carmina Burana, set to Carl Orff's thunderous, instantly recognizable score. Argentine choreographer Mauricio Wainrot's bold interpretation explodes with athletically charged movement — gravity-defying leaps and spins that shift seamlessly from primal urgency to romantic tenderness. The Winnipeg Free Press called it “highly visceral ballet [that] highlights the vitality of the company.”

Performed in five vignettes, the work is a high-energy celebration of life's sensual pleasures. Its driving rhythms and uninhibited choreography create an almost overwhelming physical experience. Since RWB premiered the work in Canada in 2002, it has become an audience favourite for the company’s hometown audiences, returning regularly to sold-out houses.

A story passed down through generations

But it's the evening's second act that brings the program home — literally. T'əl: The Wild Man of the Woods is the creation of B.C.'s own Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe, a member of the Tla'amin Nation from qathet (Powell River) and an alumnus of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School.

The ballet tells a gripping tale from Fraser-Monroe's own cultural heritage: a young woman's heroic journey into the unknown to save her sister from T'əl, a sinister figure who steals children under cover of darkness. Narrated by Tla'amin Elder Elsie Paul in both Ayajuthem and English, the work is, as the Globe and Mail noted, “a powerful fusion of Indigenous storytelling, contemporary ballet, and classical music — rooted in tradition and elevated for the stage.”

“In many Indigenous cultures, history is not written down but passed down through Elders, so it felt natural to share an oral history from my home,” Fraser-Monroe explains. “As a born-and-raised British Columbian, I am thrilled to bring this ballet home to its place of origin.”

The production is fully Indigenous-led, featuring an original score by Juno Award-nominated, Two-Spirit composer Cris Derksen and striking costumes by New York-based Navajo designer Asa Benally. The collaboration represents a significant moment in Canadian ballet — a major company presenting an Indigenous story, told by Indigenous artists, for contemporary audiences.

Fraser-Monroe's journey to this moment began at age three with Ukrainian dancing in Vernon, later incorporating hoop and grass dance alongside classical ballet training. His career has spanned Red Sky Performance, Dancers of Damelahamid and the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada, among others. As a choreographer, he's received commissions from the National Ballet of Canada and served as choreographer-in-residence at RWB during the 2023-24 season.

A rare opportunity

Vancouver's chance to see RWB beyond The Nutcracker is rare — this marks their first B.C. tour featuring broader repertoire in 10 years. The company is taking the double bill across the province, from Powell River to Saltspring Island, before culminating and closing the tour with two Vancouver performances. The tour offers British Columbians a rare chance to witness both the technical brilliance that has defined RWB for decades and the bold new voices shaping Canadian ballet's future.

It's an evening that promises to challenge, move and inspire — proof that ballet can be both timelessly visceral and urgently contemporary, sometimes in the span of a single performance.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet performs at the Centre Vancouver (777 Homer St.) on Feb. 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets and tour information are available at rwb.org.