WCD exists to create and present contemporary dance.
Our work gathers people together to appreciate, share, create & contribute to the development of contemporary dance.
2022/23 Season Launch
Please join us on Friday, September 23rd at 7:30pm for
WCD’s 2022/23 Season Launch!
This event is free/pay what you may and we appreciate
the reservation of seats in advance.
We’d love to connect with you as we kick off our 58th season of
creating and presenting contemporary dance!
We are thrilled to feature performances by a spectacular cast of Winnipeg dancers including Reymark Capacete and Andrés Felipe Jiménez Mejia, who are both making their WCD debut! We also welcome back an exciting group of returning dancers including Carol-Ann Bohrn, Julious Gambalan, Shawn Maclaine, Warren McClelland, and Shayla Rudd.
Enjoy a WCD performance! Be the first to hear about our 2022/23 season! Enjoy a beverage at our cash bar! Win prizes! Mix and mingle with artists! Check out our lobby expansion! Be the first to welcome new dancers to the WCD stage! Celebrate returning dancers!
WCD's Season Launch is presented as part of Culture Days.
We are thrilled to introduce the dancers performing
in WCD’s Season Launch!
Reymark Capacete
WCD debut performance!
Photo: Reymark Capacete
Andrés Felipe Jiménez Mejia
WCD debut performance! You may recognize Andres from WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative (2020, 2021) where he performed the works Covid Sonata, Aspects of Alterity, and Dancing through Uncertainty (choreography by Jolene Bailie).
Photo: Carley Hungerford
Carol-Ann Bohrn
Returning dancer! Previous WCD credits include in between here and now, The Space in Between, Modulations, Last Schema, An Aspect of Alterity, Anthem, Body & Light (all by Jolene Bailie) and Begin Again (by Jera Wolfe). Carol-Ann performs in WCD’s Class at Home, a free online class, and danced in WCD’s Guest Artist in Residence research project with Ralph Escamillan, remixing choreography by Tedd Robinson, and an artistic process with Mélanie Demers.
Photo: Jenna Wilder
Julious Gambalan
Returning dancer! Previous WCD credits include in between here and now and Body & Light (both by Jolene Bailie). Julious also danced in WCD’s Guest Artist in Residence research project with Ralph Escamillan, remixing choreography by Tedd Robinson, in WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative shows Calibrations of Flux & Up Close and disDANCING, and previously for Verge: Remembering Rachel Browne.
Photo: Mark Dela Cruz
Shawn Maclaine
Returning dancer! Previous WCD credits include in between here and now, Last Schema,Covid Sonata, Body & Light, Anthem (all by Jolene Bailie), and COMMENTARY ON/OFF (by Ming Hon). Shawn recently danced in a WCD research project with Guest Artist in Residence, Idan Cohen, and expanded his work in dance to include working as a Rehearsal Director and Assistant Stage Manager for WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative show, RECONNECT. As an emerging dancer, Shawn also performed in WCD’s Verge.
Photo: Fiona Witherell
Warren McClelland
Returning dancer! Previous WCD credits include in between here and now, Body & Light, Last Schema, Anthem, Modulations, The Space in Between, As Though I Had Wings, For the Turnstiles, GORGE, and as an emerging dancer in Verge. Warren also danced in WCD research projects with Guest Artists in Residence, Ralph Escamillan, and Idan Cohen. This season, Warren is working as an additional Rehearsal Director and Assistant Stage Manager for WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative show.
Photo: Leif Norman
Shayla Rudd
Returning dancer! Previous WCD credits include in between here and now. Shayla previously danced in WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative for three seasons and in the works Lost, Myriad Beings, Feedback, Bell/Anti-Bell, and Dancing through Uncertainty (all by Jolene Bailie). Shayla also danced in a WCD research project with Guest Artist in Residence, Idan Cohen, and dances in WCD: Class at Home 2, a free online class.
Photo: Jastin Manalo
Jolene Bailie
WCD’s Season Launch features choreography by our Artistic Director, Jolene Bailie! Appointed Artistic Director in the fall of 2019, Bailie came to WCD with a large body of choreographic work and a practice of creating one new work per year. Works by Bailie performed by WCD since appointment include in between here and now, Modulations, The Space In Between, Last Schema, Anthem, An Aspect of Alterity, Body & Light, and Covid Sonata. Full evenings of Bailie’s choreographies have also been presented for Calibrations of Flux and Up Close and disDANCING as well as Reconnect for WCD’s Emerging Artist Initiative and WCD’s online presentations.
WCD's Season Launch features original sound by Emma Hendrix. Emma Hendrix is a sound designer, composer, and artist focused on creative technology. Through sound, Emma builds visceral, expressive environments that explore the inherent qualities of sounds, particularly field recordings, found sounds, and ‘machine languages’ of everyday things.
WCD is thrilled to welcome Venue Technician, Zambia Pankratz, and Stage Manager, Samantha Desiree, who are also
working with us for the first time!
Tedd Robinson
We are so saddened to hear of the passing of Tedd Robinson. One of Canada’s most celebrated dance artists, his artistry deeply influenced the development of WCD and the development of contemporary dance in Winnipeg.
Robinson was a Resident Choreographer and subsequently Artistic Director in 1984. His provocative, innovative choreography became the main staple of the Company’s repertoire. During Robinson’s tenure, WCD also presented the Festival of Canadian Modern Dance, which featured a superb roster of national and international artists. Additional highlights include WCD’s 20th Anniversary Gala, the 1985 tour to Mexico, and the 1989 performance of Robinson’s Lepidoptera at the National Arts Centre.
Robinson’s contributions to dance were wide-reaching. After WCD, Robinson pursued a tremendously successful solo career and his critically acclaimed work was presented nationally and internationally. Robinson created for many of Canada’s most renowned artists, worked as a choreographic consultant, and supported the development of many emerging artists. In 1998 he founded his own company, 10 Gates Dancing, to promote the development and performance of contemporary dance.
Tedd’s work continued to be presented by WCD on numerous occasions after his tenure, including several full-length solo shows. His choreography was most recently presented at WCD in 2016 and 2017. In May, 2021, WCD Guest Artist in Residence, Ralph Escamillan, worked over Zoom to re-mix excerpts from Robinson’s choreography Camping Out with WCD dancers.
Tedd Robinson passed away on August 27, 2022, at the age of 69.
Tedd’s contributions to WCD and the Winnipeg dance community are significant and we are grateful for all that he gave us. We offer sincere condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
ClickHERE to read a beautiful feature from The Free Press.
Photo of Tedd Robinson by Rod MacIvor
Save the Date!
Please join us for WCD's Emerging Artist Initiative show on
Friday, October 21st at 7:30pm.
Witness an exciting evening of talent as twelve dancers dive deep into themselves and their artistic practice!
The future is bright in our first ticketed performance of the season!
Dancers: Justine Erickson, Gabriela García Ortiz, Andrés Felipe Jiménez Mejia, Ellice Kynman, Alexis Taylor, Juanita Garzón Parra, Thomas Oberlin, Zeus Gonzales, Natalie Sluis, Aileen Holzrichter, Anne Neudorf and Sophie Milord.
WCD's Emerging Artist Initiative is in partnership with
the School of Contemporary Dancers.
Photo from WCD's 2019 Emerging Artist Initiative
Choreography and photo: Jolene Bailie
Dancers: Anastasia Evsigneeva and Emily Solstice
Please Consider Supporting WCD
Thank you for being a part of WCD’s community and
appreciating the power of dance.
It’s because of our community that we’ve been able to create and produce contemporary dance in Winnipeg since 1964.
Donations made today help us start the 22/23 season on
more stable footing.
Donations help make dance possible. Donations help make shows possible. Donations help make new creations possible. Donations help provide professional training for dancers. And donations help keep the Rachel Browne Theatre open for a wide variety of shows.
If you have the means, please consider supporting WCD.
WCD gratefully acknowledges and appreciates the support of our community, including patrons, season ticket holders, donors, funders and volunteers.
WCD is grateful for the ongoing support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council, The Winnipeg Foundation and our season donors.
Thank You to all those who have generously donated right at the beginning of our 2022-2023 Season!
CONTRIBUTORS $10 000+
Ruth and David Asper and family
CREATORS $1000+
Patricia Philpott, in Honour of Ellice Kynman
PERFORMERS $500+
Blair Philpott
SUPPORTERS $100+
Lorne Sunley
Nicole Zajac
ENTHUSIASTS under $100
Angela Olivier
Jennifer Litchfield
Sponsors:
Photo: Leif Norman
Choreography: Jolene Bailie
Dancers: Kira Hofman and Warren McClelland Backdrop Design: Simon Hughes
Lighting: Hugh Conacher
With the generous support of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Manitoba Arts Council, the Winnipeg Arts Council
and the Winnipeg Foundation!
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We sincerely appreciate this opportunity to connect with you.
