Dance

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The necessity of the arts

Katarina Kupca 4 minute read Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025

It’s easy to take arts and culture for granted. Not because they don’t matter, but because they’re woven so deeply into our daily lives.

They’re in the stories we tell, the music in our earbuds, the festivals that bring neighbours into the streets and the murals that brighten our downtowns.

Arts and culture are part of who we are as Manitobans.

But the arts aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re essential. Especially right now.

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Artists, performers open their doors, and their souls, for Culture Days

The Arts & Life team 5 minute read Preview
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Artists, performers open their doors, and their souls, for Culture Days

The Arts & Life team 5 minute read Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

Culture Days, a national celebration of local arts and culture, kicks off today and runs through Oct. 12.

There are hundreds of free public events taking place across Manitoba over the next three weeks, including in Winnipeg, Morden, Gimli, Flin Flon and beyond. Nuit Blanche Winnipeg, the city’s annual late-night art party, also falls under the Culture Days umbrella and takes place Sept. 27.

Find a sample of the fun below and visit culturedays.ca for more information.

Central Park Moves: Weekend BeatsCentral Park, 367 Ellice Ave.

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Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

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Studio 393 brings the music and the moves to Central Park on Saturday.
SUPPLIED Studio 393 brings the music and the moves to Central Park on Saturday.
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A Lebanese dancer defies extremist threats and social norms with his sold-out performances

Malak Harb And Kareem Chehayeb, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview
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A Lebanese dancer defies extremist threats and social norms with his sold-out performances

Malak Harb And Kareem Chehayeb, The Associated Press 6 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

BEIRUT (AP) — Alexandre Paulikevitch put on his white dress and wig and danced his way to center stage, knowing that the extremist groups who had threatened him before his controversial recital might be waiting for him outside the theater.

The Lebanese dancer’s sold-out performance to a cheering crowd at a popular Beirut venue had angered fundamentalist movements ranging from the right-wing Christian Soldiers of God to Sunni Islamists.

The fundamentalists say Paulikevitch is “promoting homosexuality" because he wears dresses and corsets and undulates to classical Arabic music in a way which society largely sees as exclusive to women.

Paulikevitch says he’s breaking social norms and reintroducing forms of dance that were commonplace for men as recently as the early 20th century.

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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Alexandre Paulikevitch performs at a theatre in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
Alexandre Paulikevitch performs at a theatre in Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
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Hotel-weary evacuees guests at powwow

Connor McDowell 2 minute read Preview
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Hotel-weary evacuees guests at powwow

Connor McDowell 2 minute read Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025

SIOUX VALLEY DAKOTA NATION — Evacuees displaced from their communities in northern Manitoba were invited to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation on Friday for what the chief called a mental health day.

A hundred people were at the afternoon event when the Brandon Sun visited.

The event, which included live music, games and children’s entertainment, was a way to give a day of fresh air to evacuees, Chief Vince Tacan said.

“We thought we’d give our relatives from the north a mental health day, because staying in hotels gets hard after a while,” Tacan said.

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Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025

Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun

Lynnianna Swan scrapes a bison hide during a family wellness day of cultural and entertainment activities at Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Friday, for families displaced by fires.
Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Lynnianna Swan scrapes a bison hide during a family wellness day of cultural and entertainment activities at Sioux Valley Dakota Nation Friday, for families displaced by fires.
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Big Ocean breaks new ground as K-pop’s first deaf group

Juwon Park, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview
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Big Ocean breaks new ground as K-pop’s first deaf group

Juwon Park, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Big Ocean, a three-member K-pop group composed entirely of artists with hearing disabilities, is redefining the limits of music and performance — one beat at a time.

When Big Ocean takes the stage, they seamlessly incorporate sign language into their performances. But their polished shows are built on extensive preparation using high-tech tools born from necessity — vibrating smartwatches that pulse with musical beats and LED visual metronomes that flash timing cues during practice sessions. This technological approach represents significant progress in South Korea’s entertainment industry, where career opportunities for people with disabilities have historically been limited.

The trio, PJ, Jiseok and Chanyeon, made their debut in April 2024 and recently wrapped a solo European tour marking their first anniversary. The band performed in four countries, including France and the U.K., while promoting their second mini-album, “Underwater,” which dropped on April 20.

PJ rose to prominence as a YouTuber who educated viewers about hearing disabilities. Chanyeon previously worked as an audiologist. Jiseok was a professional ski racer.

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Friday, Oct. 10, 2025

Members of K-pop band Big Ocean, Jiseok, PJ and Chanyeon, from left to right, participate in an interview with The Associated Press in Seoul, South Korea, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)
Members of K-pop band Big Ocean, Jiseok, PJ and Chanyeon, from left to right, participate in an interview with The Associated Press in Seoul, South Korea, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)
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Miss Shakespeare turns gender bias on its ear

Holly Harris 5 minute read Preview
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Miss Shakespeare turns gender bias on its ear

Holly Harris 5 minute read Sunday, Sep. 29, 2024

Winnipeg Studio Theatre kicked off its season with the guts and glory of female empowerment in its all-women-led local premiere of Miss Shakespeare.

The two-hour musical — directed by company artistic director Erin McGrath and presented by Rainbow Stage — runs through Oct. 5 at the University of Winnipeg’s Asper Centre for Theatre and Film. Saturday night’s crowd eagerly lapped up its feminist ethos.

Its quasi-historical protagonist, Judith Shakespeare (played by a spunky Rhea Rodych-Rasidescu), is the Bard’s real-life daughter “born with a poetic soul.” Judith lives in the shadows of her famous father during the repressive 1600s, when women were relegated to becoming wives and mothers, rather than pursuing their own passions.

Judith yearns for her own identity as a self-actualized creative powerhouse, and cobbles together the “Gossips,” a merry band of like-minded women who surreptitiously meet each week in the bowels of The Cage tavern to create a play. They spar, share stories, and dream, risking public humiliation if they’re discovered treading the boards like their male counterparts.

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Sunday, Sep. 29, 2024

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rhea Rodych-Rasidescu (centre) and others run through a scene on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. An all-woman cast and crew are behind the upcoming Winnipeg Studio Theatre-Rainbow Stage presentation of Miss Shakespeare. For arts story. Winnipeg Free Press 2024
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Rhea Rodych-Rasidescu (centre) and others run through a scene on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. An all-woman cast and crew are behind the upcoming Winnipeg Studio Theatre-Rainbow Stage presentation of Miss Shakespeare. For arts story. Winnipeg Free Press 2024
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Satirical musical tackles health-care woes in bite-sized chunks

Thandi Vera 5 minute read Preview
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Satirical musical tackles health-care woes in bite-sized chunks

Thandi Vera 5 minute read Thursday, Apr. 18, 2024

They say laughter is the best medicine. Throw a little song-and-dance into the mix and you get Larry Saves the Canadian Healthcare System — an 11-part web microseries that humorously addresses Canada’s ailing medical system through music and satire.

Sara Kreindler, a professor of community health sciences at the University of Manitoba, spearheads the show, drawing from her extensive research.

“It’s about starting a conversation,” says writer-composer Kreindler, who has a PhD in social psychology. “Whether you’re a health-care provider or just someone curious about the system, I want viewers to come away feeling empowered to hold our elected leaders accountable for addressing the underlying issues.”

Through the character of Larry, played by Winnipeg actor Toby Hughes, viewers embark on a journey navigating the complexities of health-care policy.

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Thursday, Apr. 18, 2024

Supplied

Larry (Toby Hughes, left, with Melanie Whyte and Lisa Bell) delves into our health care.
Supplied Larry (Toby Hughes, left, with Melanie Whyte and Lisa Bell) delves into our health care.

Thousands mark Truth and Reconcilation Day

Malak Abas 4 minute read Preview

Thousands mark Truth and Reconcilation Day

Malak Abas 4 minute read Tuesday, Sep. 30, 2025

As a sea of thousands clad in orange waited, Helen George braids her son’s long, straight hair.

They’re at the RBC Convention Centre, preparing for the grand entry ceremonies hosted by the Southern Chiefs’ Organization to mark the fifth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Tuesday afternoon.

Originally from Ochapowace Cree Nation in Saskatchewan but living in Winnipeg, George is helping her son, Houston, get dressed for the upcoming powwow. For her, seeing so many families coming together to recognize the impact of the residential school system and celebrate Indigenous resilience is touching.

“It’s meaningful,” she said.

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Tuesday, Sep. 30, 2025

JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS

Thousands clad in orange marched from Oodena Circle at The Forks to the RBC Convention Centre to mark Truth and Reconcilliation Day.
JOHN WOODS / FREE PRESS Thousands clad in orange marched from Oodena Circle at The Forks to the RBC Convention Centre to mark Truth and Reconcilliation Day.
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A show inside a cathedral featured raw chickens in diapers. The German president was in the audience

Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview
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A show inside a cathedral featured raw chickens in diapers. The German president was in the audience

Stefanie Dazio, The Associated Press 2 minute read Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

BERLIN (AP) — A performance inside a Catholic cathedral in Germany earlier this month that featured raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers onstage — and the country's president and the local archbishop in the audience — has prompted the church and municipal leaders to apologize that the show “hurt religious feelings."

The show, "Westphalia Side Story,” was part of a May 15 celebration to mark the 1,250th anniversary of Westphalia, a region in northwestern Germany.

Video footage shows one woman and two shirtless men singing “Fleisch ist Fleisch” (“Meat is meat”) — apparently spoofing Austrian band Opus' 1984 pop song “Live is Life” — with scythes and dancing with the dead chickens on a stage in front of Paderborn Cathedral's altar.

Performance company bodytalk said in a statement Friday that the show featured work-in-progress excerpts from “Westphalia Side Story" — which references the American musical "West Side Story."

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Saturday, Sep. 20, 2025

This grab taken from video shows performers dancing as they hold raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers, inside Paderborn's cathedral, Germany, Friday May 16, 2025. (RTL via AP)
This grab taken from video shows performers dancing as they hold raw, plucked chickens wrapped in diapers, inside Paderborn's cathedral, Germany, Friday May 16, 2025. (RTL via AP)
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Danser à 95 ans

CAMILLE SÉGUY 3 minute read Preview
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Danser à 95 ans

CAMILLE SÉGUY 3 minute read Saturday, May. 5, 2012

L

E 9 avril dernier, la Franco-Manitobaine Hortense Sabourin a célébré ses 95 ans.

Un âge avancé qui ne l’empêche pas de poursuivre sa passion, la danse, malgré la perte de sa vue depuis plus de 15 ans.

“Quand, vers l’âge de 75-80 ans, mon médecin m’a dit que je devenais aveugle, c’était une triste nouvelle mais je n’ai jamais pensé abandonner la danse,” affirme Hortense Sabourin. “C’est un bon exercice et c’est bon pour le moral. On n’a pas besoin des yeux pour danser, mais des oreilles.”

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Saturday, May. 5, 2012

CAMILLE SÉGUY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS
À 95 ans, Hortense Sabourin danse toujours, malgré la perte de sa vue.
CAMILLE SÉGUY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS À 95 ans, Hortense Sabourin danse toujours, malgré la perte de sa vue.