Take appetite to El Salvador pavilion

Is a better Winnipeg on the horizon?

Four Free Press columnists weigh in on the challenges ahead and how the city can become better.

New series terrific addition to RWB repertoire

‘See the music, hear the dance,” is a famous quote from quintessential ballet influencer George Balanchine, whose pithy bons mots have defined much of American classical dance since the legendary Russian-born choreographer first blazed a trail with the New York City Ballet.

Local balletomanes were given a golden opportunity to experience both up-close-and-personal Thursday when the Royal Winnipeg Ballet officially kicked off its 87th season with its newly minted Studio Series, which runs until Sunday.

The brainchild of the company’s artistic director, Christopher Stowell, the series features an abridged “concert version” of Balanchine’s seminal Who Cares?, set to a playlist of catchy George Gershwin tunes that make up the backbone of the Great American Songbook.

The Studio Series is the latest initiative taken by Stowell as he settles into his arguably still new position. Some of those endeavours will invariably stumble; others will hit their mark. This venture belongs in the latter category, bringing a 500-plus-year-old art form, often perceived as rarified, to audience members who may be hesitant, shy or just plain intimidated to visit the cavernous Centennial Concert Hall.

Flammable gas culprit of 2024 Transcona home explosion: police

Flammable gas is believed to be the cause of a 2024 house explosion in Transcona that damaged neighbouring homes and displaced residents.

“As a result of the investigation and upon Crown review, the explosion is believed to be an isolated incident,” Winnipeg Police Service Const. Dani McKinnon said in an email Friday afternoon.

“There are no public safety concerns connected to this incident, and no criminal charges have been laid.”

The sudden blast happened in a bungalow on Camrose Bay on June 26, 2024. It levelled the home and caused significant damage to 22 other houses. At the time, it was described as “catastrophic” by the fire chief at the scene.

Take appetite to El Salvador pavilion

If there’s an unofficial slogan for Folklorama’s new El Salvador Pavilion, it’s “Mi casa es tu casa.”

Warmth and welcoming are at the heart of the only pavilion representing Central America at this year’s festival. El Salvador is one of the smallest countries in the world, “but our people have huge hearts,” says pavilion media chair Jenny Briones. “We want to be able to welcome everyone to our home.”

Briones, 40, came to Winnipeg from El Salvador when she was school-aged. Her husband is Chilean, so she’s been involved with Chilean Pavilion — but she’s always wanted to celebrate her own heritage on the Folklorama stage. When pavilion sponsor Canadians Salvadorians in Winnipeg, CASA Inc. expressed interest in putting together a new El Salvador Pavilion in 2018, she jumped at the chance to volunteer. Having representation at Folklorama is important to her.

“For me, I’m a second-generation El Salvadoran here in Winnipeg, so getting the third generation to get to know El Salvador and where they come from, to learn what our culture is because it’s rich,” she says. “And showing that to the rest of Winnipeg — and the world, because Folklorama can see throughout the world via Facebook, Instagram. It’s letting people know who we are.”