After five decades of service to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB), André Lewis is anticipating his final curtain call in early May.
“I just want to say that if you want to celebrate, if you want to say thank you to me, the best way to do it is to come to the theatre, watch the show, and soak in this incredible experience,” Lewis said with a smile.
Lewis has spent 30 of those 50 years with the RWB as artistic director and is leading the organization into its 85th anniversary. The show will feature three distinct dance styles that have been carefully crafted by Lewis and will be performed by RWB dancers.
From May 1 to May 4, audiences can see Bolero & Other Works which also includes Angels in the Architecture and the return of Itzik Galili’s Hikarizatto.
Hikarizatto which roughly translates from Japanese to ‘crowded light’ has not been seen by Winnipeg audiences since 2007. It’s described as a rhythmic journey of off-balance, hyper-kinetic movements and kaleidoscopic kicks accentuated by pulsating drumbeats.
“It’s a more contemporary program, but really based on classical ballet,” Lewis said.
Lewis still vividly remembers the summer of 1975 when he was accepted into the RWB’s Professional Division from Gatineau, Que. He said street names like Vaughan Street and Notre Dame Avenue helped him quickly learn English.
“I was hungry, so I needed to,” he said. “I remember very fondly my time in the school. It was so fantastic.”
Jacqueline Weber and David Moroni are two teachers Lewis credits with getting him to where he is today.
The ballet Romeo and Juliet stands out in Lewis’ mind, as he played both Mercutio and the lead Romeo at two separate times.
“I loved it, and I absolutely say, I can do this; I can make it happen. Teresa Bacall was my Juliet to my Romeo,” he said. “As Mercutio, I had the time of my life, and we did sword fighting, which was so cool for us.”
After more than 15 years of dancing with the company, Lewis moved on to becoming the associate artistic director, and by 1995, he was artistic director.
“We’ve done some incredible work,” Lewis said. “Rather than just trying to impress people with technique and theatrical features, we grab people by the collar and say, ‘Come be with us.’ We directly speak to the audience.”
Lewis said working 16-hour days for 30 years as artistic director has remained a high-pressure and demanding job at times. He is looking forward to taking a step back and enjoying life.
“I’m not retiring so much as I’m stepping down from this position,” he said. “I’m looking for other options for me, maybe NGOs of some sort, but where I can be more part-time.”
He is looking back at his legacy with pride.
“We are the longest, continuously operating ballet company in North America, and there’s something to be said for that.”
