From page to screen to stage, welcome to Gilead!

Message from Christopher Anderson | Artistic Director, Alberta Ballet

Canada has a rich landscape of dance companies, and we are excited to welcome the Royal Winnipeg Ballet with such a bold work.

Few events connect us like live performances. The experience of a performance is relational; it inspires through the interplay between performer and audience.

The experience of this show will be unlike any other - because you are here, participating in and deepening this shared connection.

Thank you for joining us at this long-awaited presentation of Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the opening of Alberta Ballet's 2022/23 season!

Message from Lila York | Choreographer, The Handmaid’s Tale based on the novel by Margaret Atwood

Creating a ballet based on Margaret Atwood’s prescient novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, has been a longstanding and passionate wish for me.

In the years since the novel’s debut in 1985 it has only grown in relevance and importance. Once seen as ‘controversial’, the story, its premise and its characters, are now fully part of our culture and our lexicon.

The story is set in the (former) United States in the aftermath of an unnamed climate crisis when a radical religious cult stages a coup and takes power, renaming the country Gilead. In Gilead women are divided into functional classes, given no choices and are stripped of all human rights. Sterility is the norm, and women still capable of bearing children - who have also committed some infraction of the new laws - are subjugated as surrogate mothers known as ‘handmaids’ to the ruling elite. They are given three chances to produce a healthy baby, and failure relegates them to nuclear waste clean-up in the “colonies”, the US Midwest. Abortion is illegal, and any doctor found performing this procedure is hanged in public.

This is the story of one handmaid, Offred – literally “of Fred” – the Commander she is assigned to, his wife, Serena Joy, a former television gospel singer, Offred’s best friend, the indomitable and fearless Moira, and the house chauffeur, Nick, who may or may not be a member of the resistance movement.

Adapting a contemporary novel for the ballet presented unique challenges. The Handmaid’s Tale is an action story full of twists and turns that made it approachable as a ballet. But unlike Moira, Offred herself is a cerebral character. Enslaved and powerless she presents as obedient, while searching out a means of escape. My challenge was to reveal her depth and her yearnings through her movement.

The story is, shall we say, dark but has a hopeful if ambiguous ending, emerging from a hellish totalitarian world into a world of restored light. I found my own ‘route to the light’ in the ballet, so that no one should leave the theater in despair.

Abortion rights are front and center as an issue at the moment, thanks to a US Supreme Court decision that returned the legal framework to individual states. The Handmaid’s Tale is frequently referenced in light of this. But unlike the women of Gilead, we still have options. In the wake of the court decision, Americans have rallied to support women in more conservative states who face restrictions on their reproductive rights. Recently Kansas a “red” state, legalized first trimester abortion, which is an indication that the country is moving forward on this issue. Apart from abortion, the US is facing disturbing restrictions on other rights – freedoms of speech, religion and of the press, rights guaranteed in the US constitution, as tech companies, serving as government proxies, invoke censorship across the internet. We will have to stay alert on those issues as well.

It has been a privilege for me to work with the RWB and their brilliant and dedicated dancers on this project. I am deeply indebted to Ms. Atwood for her support and her wisdom.

Greetings from André Lewis | Artistic Director & CEO, Royal Winnipeg Ballet

We are thrilled to bring one of Canada’s most celebrated literary achievements to you on Edmonton’s Jubilee stage! As you may be aware, the world premiere of The Handmaid’s Tale, based on the novel by Margaret Atwood, was premiered in October 2013 in Winnipeg – and since then has only ever been performed outside of Winnipeg three times, in Brandon, Ottawa and in Calgary last week. Now we are eager to share this riveting story with dance and ballet fans in Edmonton.

Choreographer Lila York’s dance-drama portrays a dystopian future where we shadow the restricted, yet resilient, Offred as she navigates a world where women’s rights have been stripped away in this powerful interpretation of Atwood’s gripping novel.

Through a dialogue with the Governor General Award-winning author, York spent nearly a decade re-imagining the daunting world of Gilead. She then assembled a team of top international talent in lighting and costuming. Innovative set designer Clifton Taylor, who has worked with the world’s leading dance and opera companies, was assisted by Anshuman Bhatia to take the world so vividly imagined by Atwood to the stage. Costume designer Liz Vandal, lauded for her cutting-edge fashion design and costuming for Cirque du Soleil and Marie Chouinard, created original costuming to fit the narrative’s dark romanticism.

Set to a pastiche score of renowned composers, including James MacMillan, Arvo Pärt, and Alfred Schnittke among others, this thought-provoking ballet will provide a rich array of characters to showcase the energy, athleticism, and theatricality of the RWB Company dancers. This is a performance that is sure to spark conversation and leave a lasting impression.

Please sit back and be transported to the dystopian world of Gilead.

Thank you for joining us.

André Lewis, O.M. | Artistic Director & CEO

  • “The two-hour, five-show production that runs until Sunday includes an edgy, contemporary pastiche score ranging from Arvo Pärt to Alfred Schnittke with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra led by Tadeusz Biernacki. Designer Clifton Taylor’s multi-level set, comprised of exposed scaffolding and lighting grids, provides a starkly cold canvas for Liz Vandal’s colour-coded costumes, all dramatically lit by Taylor and Anshuman Bhatia.”

    - Holly Harris, The Winnipeg Free Press, October 17/13

  • “Billed as a ‘dance-drama,’ the renowned New York-based choreographer succeeds at creating a darkly theatrical world complete with onstage technicians scanning the stage and audience with penetrating searchlights. Unfolding as a series of 16 scenes, the episodic plot-driven ballet, performed en pointe, highlights the key moments in the story’s narrative arc as well as plumbing the characters’ emotional relationships.”

    - Holly Harris, The Winnipeg Free Press, October 17/13

  • “What really works in the ballet are the theatrical values. Liz Vandal's wonderful costumes capture Gilead to perfection. The stylish red tunics for the handmaids are a sharp contrast to the 1950s shirtwaists of the wives. Clifton Taylor's set evokes the starkness of Gilead society with its towering steel gallery and staircase.”

    - Paula Citron, The Globe & Mail, October 18/13

  • “The choreography is very specific and stylised, but that makes it that much more fun to watch. Lila York’s choreography has a life and quality of movement that holds your eye and your attention. The Handmaids’ footwork and body lines make such striking pictures, there are few choreographers whose ballets stand out in the same way for me. What I love about this most though is that anyone can enjoy this production! You don’t need to have any prior knowledge of ballet and it’s technique, but rather just be willing to get lost in the story for a few hours.”

    - Jessica Storoschuk, An Historian About Town

  • “The music… is superb and an ideal accompaniment for the chaotic and poignant story” “the final performance by Offred (Lamont)… is the highlight of the evening.”

    - Susan Hickman, Ottawa Dance Blog, Jan 23/15

  • “"You want it darker," Leonard Cohen rumbled on his final album, released shortly before his death two years ago. Well, yes, actually we did, back in 2013 when the Royal Winnipeg Ballet presented the world première of Lila York’s The Handmaid’s Tale. Fast-forward five years, and the company has delivered a rougher, rawer incarnation, less balletically prim and proper, and even more bone-chilling in the long shadows of today’s #MeToo movement and head-spinning political climate. Welcome to Gilead.”

    - Holly Harris, Winnipeg Free Press, October/18

Libretto

The Handmaid’s Tale is a ballet interpretation of Margaret Atwood’s prophetic novel portraying a future society where human rights - and women’s rights in particular - have been nullified. Following a staged terrorist attack that sees the deaths of nearly all elected officials in Washington, the United States is subject to a coup by a fundamentalist religious faction of the military. They replace the liberal democratic infrastructure of the U.S. with a theocratic dictatorship named The Republic of Gilead who institutes a rigid social hierarchy. Owing to radiation poisoning and subsequent low fertility, women of child-bearing age who have committed any infraction of the new laws can be enslaved to the families of the upper echelon as surrogate mothers, or Handmaids. They are sent to an indoctrination center, known informally as the Red Center for the red habits the Handmaids are compelled to wear. Here they are instructed by Aunts, the only women in Gilead who are permitted the right to read, then sent on to the homes of Commanders. Each Handmaid has three chances to produce a baby. Failure means exile to the Midwest (the colonies) to clean up nuclear waste or to live a life of prostitution as a “Jezebel” to the military elites. In Gilead abortion is outlawed and any physician found to have performed one is hanged.

As in George Orwell’s 1984, Gilead is perpetually at war, the press consists of controlled propaganda, and the young are indoctrinated into compliance. And as in all repressive societies, there is a resistance movement in Gilead, called May Day, named for the day of the planned overthrow of the regime.

This is the story of one Handmaid, known as Offred – literally “of Fred” – for the military commander she is assigned to; her best friend, the indomitable Moira, a woman both fearless and reckless and embodying a clear counterpoint to the cautious Offred; the Commander and his wife, Serena Joy, a well-known gospel singer in “the time before” whose career was terminated after the coup; and their chauffeur, Nick, who may or may not be a member of the Resistance. Welcome to Gilead.

Whether it be from a stage, page, or a television screen, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is resonating worldwide as we observe a climate where a disdain for democratic institutions is on the rise.

Atwood’s dystopian bestselling classic was published in 1985 and has returned to the bestseller list in wake of the 2016 American Presidential election. Translated into over 40 languages, Atwood’s Governor General Award-winning novel has been adapted to film, opera, a novel-to-radio series, an award-winning audiobook, graphic novel, television series, and ballet by acclaimed New York-based choreographer Lila York.

The Handmaid’s Tale television series received 13 Emmy nominations and five wins in its first season alone and is signed on for a third season, emphasizing the significance of Atwood’s novel in present day as civil liberties are viewed as threatened.

In this ballet, York, along with a talented creative team, preserve the novel’s prophetic spirit and human story, creating a powerful and poignant interpretation of the gripping tale. Deftly attuned to highlighting the narrative’s dark romanticism, forbidden desires and domineering regime, York’s dance drama transports audiences to a society where human rights have been stripped away.

  • Gilead
    Offred/Nick/Luke, Daughter/The Eyes/Handmaids
    MUSIC James McMillan’s Berserking Piano Concerto, by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. Performed by BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, used by arrangement with Chandos.

    The Red Centre
    Aunt Lydia/Moira/Offred, Handmaids/The Eyes
    MUSIC Andrzej Panufnik Tragic Overture, by arrangement with Bote & Bock Berlin and Boosey & Hawkes, Inc.

    The Commander’s House Offred/Serena Joy, The Commander/ Nick
    MUSIC Rock of Ages, courtesy of Essential Media Group.

    Shopping
    Handmaids
    MUSIC Leonard Bernstein’s Serenade after Plato’s Symposium 3rd Movement Eriximachus (Presto), by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Sole Agent for Leonard Bernstein Music Publishing Company LLC, publisher and copyright owner.

    The Time Before
    Offred/Luke
    MUSIC Arvo Part Fur Alina for piano, used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, Canadian and U.S. agent for Universal Edition Vienna, publisher and copyright owner.

    Ceremony
    Offred/Serena Joy/The Commander
    MUSIC Melissa Hui Dawn from Dusk to Dawn, by arrangement with Canadian Music Centre.

    Birth Pregnant
    Handmaid/Lead Wife/ Handmaids
    MUSIC Alfred Schnittke Sonata for Violin & Orchestra, by arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner. Performed by Moscow Virtuosi, Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc

    The Time Before (Reprise)
    Offred/Luke
    MUSIC Arvo Part Fur Alina for piano, used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, Canadian and U.S. agent for Universal Edition Vienna, publisher and copyright owner.

    Nick
    Offred/Nick
    MUSIC Alfred Schnittke, The Ball from Gogol Suite, by arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner. Performed by Malmo Symphony Orchestra, Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

    The Commander’s Study
    Offred/Nick/The Commander
    MUSIC Alfred Schnittke, The Waltz from the Film Music, by arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner. Performed by Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

  • Jezebels
    Offred/The Commander/Moira/ Artists of the Company
    MUSIC White Stripes, Astro and I’m bound to pack it up arranged by Joby Talbot, by arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner.

    Resistance
    Nick/Resistance
    MUSIC John Corigliano Three Hallucinations (Third Movement), by arrangement with G. Schirmer, INC. publisher and copyright owner. Performed by Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.

    Serena Joy’s Lament
    Serena Joy/ Offred
    MUSIC James McMillan’s After The Tryst, by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. Performed by Diana Galvydyte (violin) & Christopher Guild (piano), used by arrangement with Champs Hills Records (album CHRCD039), champshillsrecords.co.uk

    Respite
    Offred/Nick
    MUSIC James McMillan’s Berserking Piano Concerto Second Movement, by arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. Performed by BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, used by arrangement with Chandos.

    Salvaging/May Day
    Offred/Serena Joy/ The Commander, Nick/Aunt Lydia/Handmaids, Resistance Fighters/The Eyes
    MUSIC James McMillan’s Berserking Piano Concerto Third Movement, By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., publisher and copyright owner. . Performed by BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, used by arrangement with Chandos.

    The Time After
    Offred/Artists of the Company Special choreography by Amanda Green.
    MUSIC Arvo Part Spiegel im Spiegel for violin and piano, used by arrangement with European American Music Distributors Company, Canadian and U.S. agent for Universal Edition Vienna, publisher and copyright owner.

CHOREOGRAPHY | Lila York

MUSIC | James MacMillan, Arvo Pärt, Alfred Schnittke, and others

COSTUME DESIGN | Liz Vandal

LIGHTING DESIGN | Clifton Taylor & Anshuman Bhatia

PROJECTION DESIGN | Sean Nieuwenhuis

SCENIC DESIGN | Clifton Taylor

ASSOCIATE SCENIC DESIGN | Anshuman Bhatia

LENGTH Act I – 50 mins, Act II – 45 mins

WORLD PREMIERE Royal Winnipeg Ballet, October 16, 2013

Includes: Strobe/flashing lights, Smoke Machines (haze), adult themes, smoking on stage (vape just water)
"Content Warning - The Handmaid's Tale contains mature content and may not be suitable for all audiences. this production isn't recommended for children under 12”

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Royal Winnipeg Ballet Dancers

Nightly Casting

Offred
Elizabeth Lamont (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Alanna McAdie (15, 17m, 22)

Serena Joy
Jaimi Deleau (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Katie Simpson (15, 17m, 22)

Nick
Stephan Azulay (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Yue Shi (15, 17m, 22)

The Commander
Liam Caines (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Peter Lancksweerdt (15, 17m, 22)

Aunt Lydia & Lead Wife
Yayoi Ban (23, 24) / Chenxin Liu (14, 16, 17e, 22) / Jenna Burns (15, 17m)

Moira
Katie Bonnell (23, 24) / Amanda Solheim (14, 15, 16, 17, 22)

Luke (stage)
Logan Savard (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Joshua Hidson (15, 17m, 22)

Guardians & The Eyes
Liam Saito
Yue Shi (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Logan Savard (15, 17m, 22)
Parker Long (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Tymin Keown (15, 17m, 22)
Peter Lancksweerdt (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Liam Caines (15, 17m, 22)
Zachary Rogers
Michel Lavoie
Tymin Keown (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Parker Long (15, 17m, 22)
Joshua Hidson (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Stephan Azulay (15, 17m, 22)
Cleighden Butler

Resistance Men
Nick with
Liam Saito
Michel Lavoie (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Zachary Rogers (15, 17m, 22)
Parker Long (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Stephan Azulay (15, 17m, 22)

Pregnant Handmaid
Alanna McAdie (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Elizabeth Lamont (15, 17m, 22)

Handmaids & Wives
Amanda Solheim (23, 24) / Katie Bonnell (22) / Julianna Generous (14, 15, 16, 17)
Kyra Soo
Brooke Thomas
Jenna Burns (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Maggie Weatherdon (15, 17m, 22)
Katie Simpson (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Julianna Generoux (22) / Jaimi Deleau (15, 17m)
Emilie Lewis

Jezebels
Commander and Offred with
Katie Simpson (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Katie Bonnell (22) / Maggie Weatherdon (15, 17m)
Chenxin Liu (14, 17m, 23, 24) / Kyra Soo (14, 16, 17e, 22)
Amanda Solheim (23, 24) / Jaimi Deleau (15, 17m, 22) / Julianna Generoux (14, 16, 17e)
Emilie Lewis
Jenna Burns (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Brooke Thomas (15, 17m, 22)
Joshua Hidson (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Cleighden Butler (15, 17m, 22)
Logan Savard (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Parker Long (15, 17m, 22)
Peter Lancksweerdt (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Liam Caines (15, 17m, 22)
Tymin Keown

Moira with
Zachary Rogers (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Michel Lavoie (15, 17m, 22)
Logan Savard (14, 16, 17e, 23, 24) / Parker Long (15, 17m, 22)

Subject to Change

Creative Team for The Handmaid’s Tale

  • Margaret Atwood was born in 1939 in Ottawa and grew up in northern Ontario, Quebec, and Toronto. She received her undergraduate degree from Victoria College at the University of Toronto and her master’s degree from Radcliffe College.

    Atwood is the author of more than forty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays. Her MaddAddam trilogy – the Giller and Booker prize-nominated Oryx and Crake (2003), The Year of the Flood (2009), and MaddAddam (2013) – is currently being adapted for television. Some of her recent non-fiction books are Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth (2008) and In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination (2011). Her novels include The Blind Assassin, winner of the Booker Prize; Alias Grace, which won the Giller Prize and the Premio Mondello; and The Robber Bride, Cat’s Eye, The Handmaid’s Tale –a multiple Emmy-award-winning TV series with MGM and Hulu – and The Penelopiad. The Heart Goes Last was published in September 2015; following is Hag-Seed, a novel revisitation of Shakespeare’s play The Tempest for the Hogarth Shakespeare Project, and Angel Catbird, a graphic novel with co-creator Johnnie Christmas. Atwood lives in Toronto with writer Graeme Gibson.

  • Lila York danced with the Paul Taylor Dance Company for 12 years, appearing in over 60 works. Since 1990 she has choreographed works for Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Washington Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Ballet West, Colorado Ballet, Louisville Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Kansas City Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Orlando Ballet, American Repertory Ballet, Connecticut Ballet Theatre, NBA Ballet of Tokyo, The David Parsons Company, The Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, and The Juilliard Dance Ensemble. She recently premiered a new work for the Paul Taylor Dance Company that has been taken into the permanent repertory of the company. From 1989 to 1992 Ms. York directed a program for the production of new choreography at Pacific Northwest Ballet. She graduated from Skidmore College with a degree in English literature.

  • Liz Vandal started her career as a self-taught fashion designer in 1988, bringing her originality to dance, circus and films. She has collaborated with choreographers and dance companies around the world like Marie Chouinard, Kevin O’Day, Septime Webre, Paris Opera Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet. Vandal designed flamboyant costumes for Cirque du Soleil’s productions of OVO, Viaggio and Sonor. She also created 3,000 costumes for the 2015 European Games’ closing ceremony in Azerbaijan. In 2018, Vandal’s costumes were showcased in Alice (in wonderland) (Hong Kong Ballet) and The Wizard of Oz (Kansas City Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Colorado Ballet) both created by Septime Webre.

  • Clifton Taylor has created theatrical designs for Broadway as well as opera, theater and dance companies around the world. His designs have been commissioned for the repertories of the Mikhailovsky Theater, Russia; Sardono Dance Theater, Indonesia; The London Philharmonia, UK; The Hamburg Elbe Philharmonie, Germany; American Ballet Theater, US; Scottish National Ballet, UK; the Ballet Company of Rio de Janeiro, Brasil; Maggio Danza, Italy; Ballet de Lorraine, France as well as other major companies in Europe, Asia and South America. Mr. Taylor is particularly interested in the development of new operas and ballets and has worked with Ms. York on many projects since 1995. This season he has upcoming commissions in the US, the United Kingdom, Chile, Hong Kong, Germany and Italy. For more information, please visit designcurve.com.

  • Anshuman Bhatia’s designs for opera, theater and dance have been seen at Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts, Dublin’s Civic Theater, Soho Rep, The Public, The Atlantic, Arena Stage in Washington D.C., The Park Avenue Armory, Bard Music Festival, The Juilliard School, Madison Opera, Classic Stage Company, HERE Arts Center, LoftOpera, Ma-Yi Theater Company, Keen Company, Pacific Symphony, Puerto Rican Traveling Theater, Virginia Arts Festival, Rattlestick Theater, The Sheen Center, Troy’s EMPAC. Upcoming work can be seen at Kentucky Opera, Cleveland Playhouse, Santa Fe Opera and D.C’s Shakespeare Theater. M.F.A. NYU. www.bhatiadesign.com

  • Sean Nieuwenhuis is a Canadian projection and media designer whose work encompasses a wide variety of stage, screen, and event projects. With a formal background in broadcast production and years of experience in staging and design. Nieuwenhuis’ work adapts ever evolving presentation technology and tools to help tell stories.

    Theatrical credits include SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, Dr. Zhivago and Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway; The Who’s Tommy, JCS, Wanderlust, Evita and Cabaret at the Stratford Festival; Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, JCS, SUMMER and Sideways at the La Jolla Playhouse; Christopher Plumbers’ one man show A Word or Two for the Ahmanson Theatre and The Stratford Festival; Rear Window at the Hartford Stage; The Mountaintop, Little Prince and Mary and Max for Theatre Calgary and Anne of Green Gables for the Charlottetown Festival. Past opera credits include Faust for the Metropolitan Opera, Macbeth at the L.A. Opera, The Manchurian Candidate for Minnesota Opera, Vancouver Opera’s production of Nixon In China. Sean also designed the projections for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Going Home Star - Truth and Reconciliation.

    In the world of large-scale events, Sean was privileged to be the visuals director for the 2017 Invictus Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies and the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Opening and Closing ceremonies. Outside of the theatre, his production studio, Sensory Overload Productions Inc., provides visual design support and production services for projects around the globe.

Royal Winnipeg Ballet Artistic Team

Paige Lewis | Assistant Stage Manager

Justin Dowbiggin | Director of Production

Jeff Ward | Production Manager

Diana Miller | Wardrobe Supervisor

Barry Malenko | Wardrobe Assistant

Ryan Bjornson | Company Manager

Scott Henderson | Lighting Director

Lexie Flynn | Physiotherapist

André Lewis, O.M. | Artistic Director & CEO

Caroline Gruber | Ballet Master

Tara Birtwhistle | Associate Artistic Director

Candace Jacobson | Stage Manager

Jaime Vargas | Ballet Master

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    Dr. Hillary and Jussi Alto

    Judith Anderson

    R.R. Andrews

    Tom Aves and Christie Hughes

    Angelina Bakshi

    Valerie & Tony Barlott

    Laurie Bayda

    Joan Bedard

    Katherine Bilson

    Josh Bilyk

    Corinne Bleakley & Lindsay Hyndman

    Julia Boberg

    John C. Bonnycastle

    Dr. Ann Calvert

    Kimberley & Kevin Carlson

    Laura Cillis & Leonard Arcovio

    Elaine M. Coachman

    Linda Cochrane

    Monique Courcelles

    Lisa Cuthill

    Linda De Bathe

    C J de Jong

    Leslie Dort

    Duke Evans Inc.

    Kristine Eidsvik and Tom Couture

    Jim Gibson

    Sandra Evans and Bill Gordon

    Ann Falk

    Fath Group/O'Hanlon Paving

    Amanda Field

    Pamela FitzGerald & Robert Arts

    Daryl and Ellen Fridhandler

    Leigh Garvie/Coronation Physiotherapy

    Leslie and Gerald Giacomelli

    Leona Gibb

    Joanne Graham and Ian Laxdal

    Dianne Grant

    Dr. Andrew Greenshaw

    Darin Grisdale

    Matias Grum and Amy Martin

    David Haigh and Dawn Riley

    Colleen Hartley

    Elayna Hernandez-Kucey

    Jose-Carlos Herrero & Nicole Herrero-Langlais

    Todd Hirsch

    Stephanie Ho Lem

    Gary Holland and Kim Kroetsch

    Melanie Houley

    Victoria Johnston & Gregory McLeod

    Craig & Valerie Johnstone

    Dr. Adrian Jones

    Eileen Jones

    Marianne Kasper

    Heather Klimchuk

    Nicole Lachance & Roberto Noce

    Danielle Lajoie

    Bob & Mary Lamond

    Davin & Alexis Macintosh

    Scott MacKinnon and Lianna Stillwell

    Valerie MacLeod

    Roger Mapp

    The Mar Family

    The Martin Family

    Carol Larsen and John Masters

    Tara Mathison

    Erica McBeth & Darwin Smith

    M. Ann McCaig

    Roxanne McCaig

    Jane McCaig and Richard Waller

    Gerard Mcinnis

    Annie and Greg McKitrick

    Kathy J. McMillan

    Gwen and Keith McMullen

    Dr. John McRory and Cathy Ascroft

    Aggie Mikulski

    Annette Milbradt

    Arliss Miller

    Linda L. Miller

    Frank Molnar & Anna Maria Marrocco

    Alan and Geri  Moon

    Kathy R. Morgan

    Julie Moylan

    James & Allison Murphy

    Dr. Richard and Aurora Musto

    Heather and Ruben Nelson

    Jack and Donna Newton

    Leslie Ann O'Leary

    Keith & Cindy O'Neill

    Gail O'Reilly

    Sarah Palmer and Tom Plunket

    Renate Palmer

    Noel Papadopoulos

    Leslie Pidcock

    Lisa Poole

    Veronica Prokop & Peter Andrekson

    Gina and Trevor Pylatuik

    Trina Quickfall

    Heather Rae

    Garry and Ruth Ramsden-Wood

    Christine Richard

    Sarah Riedner

    Darcia Rolland

    Mona & Scott Rose

    City Lumber - Robert Rosen

    Patricia Seamans

    Hon. Marina Paperny and Dr. Shep Secter

    Ellie Siebens

    Marco Simonelli

    Shelley and Betty Ann Smith

    Gordon Sombrowski & Kevin Allen

    Kevin Stecyk

    Jill Strueby

    Lucie Thirnbeck

    Lee Anne Tibbles

    David & Violet Todd

    Eric and Dedre Toker

    Liz Anne Tonken

    Anne Marie and Christopher Toutant

    Yolanda Van Wachem and Hugh McPhail

    Dr. Ingrid Vicas

    Penelope Weir

    Mitch & Susanne Williams

    Crystal and Blair Willie

    Bob Willows

    Ian Young & Catherine Barrett

    Diana Andriashek

    Lana Bistritz

    Grace Bokenfohr

    E Ross Bradley

    Christine Hayward

    Wendy D. Lunn-Strickland

    Valerie Obligacion

    Osten-Victor Fund

    Enzo Pasquini

    Scott A. Polischuk

    Pratch Family Foundation

    Ralph & Gay Young Family Capital Fund

    Ann Rooney

    Carole Savage

    Richard and Mary Shaw

    Kathryn Ward

  • Anonymous

    Alberta Ballet Foundation

    Benevity

    Calgary Foundation

    CanadaHelps.org

    Edmonton Community Foundation

    GiftFunds Canada

    Shaw Birdies for Kids presented by Altalink

A whole community is working behind-the-scenes,
helping us inspire you with dance!

Alto Partners - Calgary
Beacon Martinizing Dry Cleaning
BLG
Canada Diagnostic Centres
SponsorLogos-SL-DrGupta.jpg
Enbridge
EY
Formations
Flower Chix
Field Law
MAC Cosmetics
Modern Rentals
Porsche Centre Calgary
RBC Wealth Management
RBC
Sandstone Asset Management Inc.
Surgically Clean Air
Syncrude
The Core
Urbane Culinary
Willow Park Wines & Spirits

 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2022/23 GOVERNMENT FUNDERS
AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS

  • CHAIR
    Daryl S. Fridhandler, Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP (Calgary)

    VICE CHAIR
    Joshawa N. Bilyk, TLA Developments Ltd. (Edmonton)

    VICE CHAIR
    Jana Neal, SFG Investments (Calgary)

    CORPORATE SECRETARY
    Frank Molnar, Field Law (Calgary)

    CHAIR, AUDIT COMMITTEE & TREASURER
    Jana Neal, SFG Investments (Calgary)

    CHAIR, GOVERNANCE & NOMINATING COMMITTEE
    Elan MacDonald, University of Alberta (Edmonton)

    CHAIR, SCHOOL COMMITTEE
    Ellie Siebens (Calgary) & Noel Papadopoulos (Edmonton)

  • Linda Cochrane (Edmonton)

    Todd Hirsch, ATB (Calgary)

    Heather Klimchuk, Advocacy, Connections & Communications Consulting (Edmonton)

    Gerard McInnis, Ozone Advisory Group (Calgary)

    Agnieszka (Aggie) Mikulski, TIPP Consulting (Edmonton)

    Heather Rae, HRJ Consulting (Calgary)

    Ellie Siebens, EPL Consulting Ltd. (Calgary)

    Bob Willows, Willows Construction (2001) Ltd. (Winfield)

  • CHAIR/PRESIDENT
    Alfred Sorensen

    SECRETARY/TREASURER
    Peter A. Johnson

    DIRECTOR
    Daryl Fridhandler

    DIRECTOR
    Heather Rae

    DIRECTOR
    Chandra Henry