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First Steps challengesdancers*Student event proves popular with audiencesEntertainmentBy Terry WeberArts ReporterAHANDFULof students at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet are on their toes in a whole new way.For this year’s First Steps show, six students at the RWB’s professional division school are venturing into the world of choreography, creating eight new pieces for the 90-minitte production.“This week I started to really freak out ” admits student Shannon Moreno, who has created two pieces for the show.“It just goes with a dancer’s life as a perfectionist. You want everything the way you planned it ”A total of 27 students are undertaking almost every aspect of production, ranging from choreography to publicity and the more technical aspects of staging a performance.Show proves popularFirst Steps has also proven increasingly popular with the public in recent years. Three years ago, the show was a single-night event. The following year an additional show was added because of popular demand.This year four shows are planned, running tonight, tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday at the R WB's Founder’s Studio.Show time is 7:30 p.m. each night. A silver collection will take place at the performances.“It gives the students a chance to perform because we don't do a lot of performing,’’ says Moreno. “So this is a good opportunity.”Creating works for the show, she says, also helps dancers develop anDance PreviewFirst Steps■ Royal Winnipeg Ballet Founder's Studio■ Feb. 24 to March 1appreciation for the work that goes into a production off stage.“You totally know what the teachers go through now,” she says. “When it comes down to the performances at the end of the year and they start stressing out, you know why.Student Michelangelo Canale— who has choreographed pieces for the last three First Steps shows— says it also gives participants a chance to understand the dynamics of the relationship between dancerand choreographer in a differentway.As both a student and a choreographer, he says, he’s had to learn to work within the dual role of authority figure and peer to the dancers involved.“When you work with students, you have some who treat you with respect as a choreographer as soon as you step through that door,” heexplains.The other ones see you differently. That's why some end up looking better than others.”There's also the danger, he says, of losing sight of what you’re doing as you become increasingly involved in the creation of a piece.“Sometimes you look at it so much you don’t know what to make of it,” he says.“Honestly, you look at it and you.•} .KEN GIGLlOTTf AVINNIPEG FREE PRESSMichelangelo Canale lifts Shannon Moreno at a rehearsal.don’t know if it’s good or it’s bad, at least with me.”Of course, both Canale and Moreno say, there is the pay-off in the end of seeing you’re creation performed.That’s the biggest rush of ail,” says Canale.Instructor Josee Garant, who oversees the production, says she’s always amazed by the calibre of work created by the students. “Choreographically it might beyoung or immature, but there are some really high-standard ideas because of their background andtraining,” she says.There’s some amazing stuff.”Although she serves as director to the overall production, Garant says she tries to stay in the background while the students work, allowing them the freedom to explore their own ideas.I try not to impose my ideas,” she says.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Thu, Feb 24, 1994
Page 54
Full Page
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