Royal Winnipeg Ballet school to premiere Reminiscence by Métis dancer Jera Wolfe

Métis dancer, choreographer and Royal Winnipeg Ballet graduate Jera Wolfe returns to Manitoba this month for the world premiere of his newest creation, Reminiscence.

The piece is part of the RWB school's annual professional division showcase, featuring dancers between the ages of 10 and 20 who are still early in their careers.

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Wolfe has been working recently with professional companies such as Red Sky Performance in Toronto, so creating a performance for students was a bit out of the ordinary for him, he said.

He describes the piece as a nod to the support he received when he attended the RWB school.

"[Reminiscence] is about helping out someone a little bit younger, a little bit inexperienced, sort of creating that moment where you're there to support them and carry them through," said Wolfe.

"I rarely work with students, but working with the students [from RWB] is fantastic. I couldn't imagine it any better — they're so smart and quick."

Wolfe's personal journey with ballet was a bit unexpected. When he started dancing at the age of 13, he wanted to be a breakdancer, not a ballet dancer.

"My mom really wanted me to dance [ballet], and I remember her showing me videos of ballet when I was really young," he said. "I remember thinking it was the most boring thing I'd seen."

At the age of 15, Wolfe attended a summer ballet camp at the Banff Centre, and that was a turning point — he fell in love with ballet.

"It's a good thing I have a bossy mom — I'm glad she forced me into [ballet] against my will," he said.

On being Métis

Even though he grew up knowing very little about being Métis, Wolfe says dancing professionally in Canada has allowed him to connect with other Indigenous dancers, forging a deeper connection with his heritage.

"The last five years I've spent a lot of time in the Indigenous dance community, and it's really helped shape me and my movements," said Wolfe.

"I'm really happy I'm able to connect with [my heritage]. It influences my the way I move, and my choreography, it's really important."

Now that Wolfe is choreographing more, he wants to make an effort to connect other young Indigenous dancers with the small — but mighty — Indigenous dance scene in Canada.

He says he's already reached out to one young Indigenous dancer at the RWB and plans to connect the dancer with his peers.

Perfect timing

The idea for Reminiscence started with the music, said Wolfe.

He had been listening to the album The Chopin Project by Ólafur Arnalds and Alice Sara Ott when he was inspired to choreograph a piece.

He describes the music as sounding like a modern-day Chopin composition, so he knew he wanted to work with dancers who have been trained in both ballet and contemporary dance.

"I had been listening to this album and I thought, 'I really want to create something with this beautiful piece of music,' but the problem was I just didn't have an opportunity," said Wolfe.

"I need a company or school that was a little bit more classical, to be able to carry it through, and when they asked me to do this the timing was perfect."

Transition into choreography

Lately, Wolfe has been spending a bit less time performing and more time choreographing.

"It's almost a scary thing when you start doing choreography because it's like, 'Wait, am I not dancing anymore?,'" he said.

"I catch myself watching [Reminiscence] and I get excited sitting down, and I just want to get up and join. I'm jealous. I want to jump on the stage with them."

Despite finding his footing as a choreographer, Wolfe hopes he can continue to perform for at least another five to 10 years.

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Reminiscence is part of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Spotlight program. It runs May 25 - 27 at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and tickets are $25-30.