City dancer earns scholarship to Royal Winnipeg Ballet

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on July 9, 2022.

Submitted photo Local dancer Axelle Lorenz has earned a scholarship to participate in a summer session at the prestigious Royal Winnipeg Ballet

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

A local ballet dancer has received a scholarship to participate in a summer session at the prestigious Royal Winnipeg Ballet for the month of July.
“It’s a serious scholarship that really recognizes Canadians across the country, and for us it’s a way to recruit the best of each province,” said Stephane Leonard, school director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
Axelle Lorenz is one of seven recipients from across Canada to receive a $2000 IG Wealth Management Summer Session Scholarship. She was selected among hundreds of applicants during the RWB School Professional Division’s 2021-2022 audition tour.
“I wish we had more scholarships because there’s a lot of talent across the nation, but Axelle was one of the very strong ones and we are really happy that she is joining us this summer,” said Leonard.
Lorenz said that it feels good to receive the scholarship, as it took a lot of work to get to where she is today. She said she has been dancing since she was three-years-old and is now entering grade 6.
“I’m very happy and grateful to be chosen because it helps my parents a little bit, because I do a lot of dance in my hometown,” said Lorenz.
She said that her home studio, Joy’s Dance Factory, was very happy to learn that she was chosen this year, as they had another dancer that received the scholarship last year as well.
Lorenz said she has been involved in a variety of dances throughout her journey.
“I’ve always been in tap, somewhat in hip hop, like on and off in hip hop, jazz and ballet and I just started pointe this year,” said Lorenz.
Vice-principal of the professional division of the RWB school, Kelly Bale said the summer session is basically a secondary audition for Lorenz.
“The purpose of our four-week program is to assess her suitability for our fall/winter program and to see if she’s also happy with the program itself, and then towards the end of that for weeks we will communicate if she will be invited to come in the fall,” said Bale.
During the RWB School’s Professional Division Summer Session, students will complete intensive work in ballet and pointe technique, and depending on their level, pas de deux and variations.
In addition to classical training, students will be receiving a comprehensive education in character dance and modern dance. The curriculum is augmented by classes in historical dance, conditioning, music, repertoire, Spanish dance, improvisation, choreography, visual art, dance history, creative movement, nutrition, performance enhancement, and strength-training for male students.
Bale said that for those selected to come back in the fall they have a brand-new student living centre that opened up in January this year, which is attached to their training facility where students can continue their academic studies.
“They participate in local private academic schools for half of the day, and then the other half of the day they come back to the RWB to train,” said Bale.

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