Royal Winnipeg Ballet commissions Sahel Pascual for new work through MoBBallet partnership.
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is welcoming a new choreographic voice into its studio this spring: Sahel Flora Pascual, a 2025 fellow with MoBBallet’s Pathways to Performance program.
Pascual has been commissioned to create an original piece for the RWB School’s Anna McCowan-Johnson Aspirant Program as part of the company’s ongoing collaboration with MoBBallet (Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet). The piece will premiere in Winnipeg June 4–6 during the On the Edge performance series and will also tour across Manitoba in May.
Founded in 2015, MoBBallet preserves and promotes the legacies of Black ballet artists through archival and educational initiatives. Its Pathways to Performance program nurtures emerging Black choreographers and choreographers of colour working in classical ballet, offering mentorship and space to create in collaboration with established companies like the RWB.
“Pathways to Performance challenges us to examine not only what we create, but how we create it—and with whom,” said Tara Birtwhistle, Associate Artistic Director of the RWB. “The artists who come through this program bring powerful voices and deeply rooted perspectives that expand what is possible in the studio.”
Pascual’s journey with MoBBallet began in 2019, when she participated in the MoBBallet Symposium as a dancer. This time, she returns as a choreographer, developing her new work under the mentorship of Canadian choreographer Robert Binet. Her residency with the RWB runs from April 8 to 17.
“From the content of the work to the culture of the creative space, MoBBallet considers every element of the artistic ecosystem,” said MoBBallet founder Theresa Ruth Howard. “The name of this program is literal—we are creating actual pathways to tangible opportunities. We’re thrilled when companies like RWB partner with us in this experiment.”
The RWB has previously commissioned works by MoBBallet fellows Meredith Rainey and Portia Adams, following their participation in the MoBBallet Symposium. Both were among five choreographers featured in the inaugural 2024 Pathways season at the Kennedy Center and Jacob’s Pillow.
Pascual’s commission marks her first major choreographic project with a professional ballet company.
Born and raised in the Philippines, Pascual trained at Ballet Manila, the School of American Ballet, and Ballet Austin. She is set to join London City Ballet for the 2025/26 season. Alongside her dance career, she is completing a dual degree in Financial Economics and Psychology at Columbia University and is a recipient of the Finley Fellowship in Venice and a scholar at Columbia’s Reid Hall in Paris.
The RWB will premiere Pascual’s new work in Winnipeg before taking it on tour, with performances scheduled in Russell, Thompson, Dauphin, Minnedosa, Brandon, and Pelican Rapids from May 5 to 17.
Tickets for the Winnipeg performances are available now at rwb.org. Ticket details for the tour stops are coming soon.