Special guest honoured at 85th anniversary of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Nutcracker

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet opened the 85^th edition of the Nutcracker on Dec 20^th, and for Sundays matinee, they had an extra special performance planned for the anniversary. 

 Lily Guberman, who turns 103 years old next month, is an original member of the Winnipeg Ballet Club.

 She danced during the first year of what became the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1953, and now, 85 years later, she made her return to the stage for a special Nutcracker walk-on performance.

“It’s very flattering, very complimentary. And very, I don’t know if I’m deserving of it, but its wonderful,” said Guberman.

“She was one of the first dances that Gwenyth and Betty involved or invited to join their troupe. The Winnipeg Ballet Club it was called at the time.  So, it’s really a cornerstone for us. It’s wonderful to have her, I mean, she’s coming, and she’s with us and she’s celebrating our 85^th anniversary so I think it’s wonderful,” said André Lewis, Artistic Director.

The Nutcracker has become a major part of Winnipeg’s artistic culture, and a must watch around the holidays. 

With the show running this year until the 28^th, audiences have already been pouring in.

This is the last run for artistic director André Lewis, after 30 years at the helm, and he says that year in and year out, Winnipegers still support the show because its so deeply rooted in the fabric of the community.

“Although it respects the tradition of the traditional version in the snow scene in act 2 in Russia over 100 years ago, it’s set in Winnipeg at the turn of the last century, so it does relate to Winnipeg to a large degree and people connect with that, and that’s what I think has made it popular,” Lewis.

As for Lily’s return to the stage, CityNews unfortunately was not able to capture the big moment during the show, but in catching up with her before her appearance, she was all smiles.