smart | city Groundbreaking, unorthodox ballet attracts


a wider audience to Royal Winnipeg Ballet The ballet is making moves toward a more diverse patronage, with fresh programming and price reduction programs


C


anada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) debuted its 75th year with a sharp detour from programming as usual.


By daring to tackle the in-


ter-generat ional ef fects of residential schools in Going Home Star – Truth and Recon- ciliation, the ballet company broke the mould and in turn welcomed a new audience eager to see how the theme was presented. First-time ballet attendee


Danielle Robidoux said it was the first time she had been excited to see a ballet, and it had provoked water-cooler discussion at her workplace with other young staff leading up to the show. The modernity and com-


Fresh Cut Brenlee Coates


plexity of the show’s theme seemed to serve as an invitation to a wider audience; it allowed the age-old art form to seem forward-thinking and become palatable to more viewers. Getting new people in the seats was also


helped along by price incentives. Te program Access Pointe: Ballet Under


30 reduces the price of admission to a cool $30 plus taxes and fees for people between the ages of 15-29. Attendees can purchase up to two tickets


at this rate, provided the guest is also under the age of 30. Te only catch is that you have to sign up


to become an Access Pointe member ahead of time, as you are sent a passcode by email approximately one week from a show’s de- but, which you can use to redeem the offer. Te program is meant to help young adults, students and new professionals make the arts part of their lives while the full-priced admission is still a little out of reach. In conjunction with Going Home Star,


the RWB also debuted its first Pay What You Can initiative, when for one date of the run, patrons could buy tickets at a reduced rate


Liang Xing and Sophia Lee share a kiss in the final scene of the show. Photo by Samanta Katz.


in the two hours leading up to the show (a donation of $20 was suggested). This opened the ballet up to any low-


income individuals and coincided well with the socially-conscious message being shared in Going Home Star. Te Going Home Star show was 10 years in


the making, and it kicked off the renowned company’s season with so much vim that it will be a tough act for itself to follow. The show was inspired by the tales of


residential school survivors collected by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It was the vision of the late elder


and activist, Mary Richard, to see the dance company stage something with First Nations origins and a profound social statement. Adapting a story of this magnitude and


putting such a unique spin on the classical 400-year-old European art form was a lot of responsibility to bear to say the least – but it helped that the RWB found enthusiastic participants along the way. The plot is based on a story penned


by prominent Canadian novelist Joseph Boyden, who comes from European and Anishinaabe heritage. He frequently ex- plores themes from First Nations history and culture. His expertise helped authenticate the


show, as did the musical elements from Steve Wood and the Northern Cree Singers and the recent Polaris Prize-winner Tanya Tagaq, whose emotive, primal, and alter- nately soft and coarse voice supported the symphony like the heartbeat of the show. Worthy of mention is also the composer Christos Hatzis’ of-the-moment score which was experimental enough to allow Tagaq’s thumping, breathy sounds to seep in seam- lessly. Her voice transcends genres and de-


mands to be heard – and it was a rare and perfect fit for the beautiful and simultane- ously uncomfortable ballet. Te story was also transposed with audio


recordings from residential school survi- vors’ experiences, which supported a more direct and cognizant delivery of the show’s message. While the tale follows two First Nations


protagonists; one that at first is disconnected from her heritage and feeling the weight of its absence, and one that can’t shake the past – Going Home Star reminds us that the history of the residential school system is everyone’s story to share, and everyone’s to try to reconcile. Perhaps artistic director André Lewis said


it best when he introduced the show: “Truth is important, but also, reconciliation is just as important if not more.”


Hunter & Gunn harkens back to simpler ways A new wave of barber shops was kickstarted by the shop, which is still flourishing on a simple formula By Brenlee Coates


N


o one’s sure what came first – the un- ironic appreciation for the moustache or the sudden lustre of barber shops of


decades past, but one thing’s for sure: Hunter & Gunn brought the old-school coiffure back in Winnipeg. And now, the only major change in business


as usual when Movember rolls around is a sudden surge in moustache wax sales. Usually, the prominent West Broadway


barbers are also called upon to do “quick shaves” for the local celebrity participants in the annual fundraiser, but donating their time is also not out of the ordinary for the team. One dollar from all services and products


sold at Hunter & Gunn goes straight back into the community – and the staff is expected to do at least one hour of volunteer work a week. “Everyone does more than that I think,” says owner, Jeremy Regan. “I’m really, really proud of my staff… for


jumping on board with the volunteering.” In the last two years, Hunter & Gunn has


raised $30,000 for Graffiti Art Programming Inc. and Te Ladybug Foundation. Tis year’s beneficiary, Resource Assistance


for Youth, Inc., is on track to receive another generous donation from its neighbourhood barber shop. Regan has found a formula that works for


his business that’s financially viable; he’s able to support his family, give back to the community and help his staff make a good living, while charging relatively low prices for services. Tis was all part of his vision when he de-


cided to embark on his own. After working in pretty much every capac-


ity of the hair industry for over a decade, he left a cozy job at a reputed salon to do things a little differently.


4 Smart Biz


Dru Barrow and Mason Melle cut hair at Hunter & Gunn on Broadway. “Basically, I was charging around double


what I do now,” says Regan. At Hunter & Gunn, “we’re starting around the Ultracuts and Super Clips (price point).” Regan explained the formula for hair-


dressers is typically to raise prices periodi- cally, during which time they lose about 10 to 15 per cent of their clientele. He wanted to reject this formula, and open


a barber shop that wouldn’t cause him to lose any clients. “It’s a barber shop for men, women and children,” says Regan. “I had a very big female clientele that I wanted to keep… Why cut off any market?” On any given day, Regan says you can see


the diversity of the clientele popping in and out of the doors at the 567 Broadway estab-


lishment – university students, businessmen and women, the LGBTTQ community, and everything in between. People expect to see hipsters with fades


and immaculate moustaches whipping through the three chairs, but it’s just as likely to be three women getting cuts and colours, says Regan. Hunter & Gunn does feature some of the


usual hipster bait – nostalgic record player, foosball hockey table, mid-century furniture and gourmet coffee, but the barber shop is inviting to most admirers of the throwback institutions, especially with its superior delivery of hot shaves and fades. And they have a tantalizing spread of fashion and cul- ture magazines laid out among the leather


www.smartbizwpg.com


couches waiting to be devoured. Though they serve a no-fuss no-muss,


time-slotted haircut, it’s easy to imagine time drifting by while lingering in the seat- ing area, watching the TV that’s perpetually on at the shop, and enjoying the tunes on vinyl. Maybe the best part of the Hunter & Gunn


experience, besides the comforting sight of the red, white and blue striped relic and jumbled art on the walls reminiscent of a simpler time, is the return to barber shop conversation. All those topics that are supposed to be off


the docket are readily encouraged. “It’s a place where you talk about sex, religion and politics,” says Regan.


November 2014


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