Sophia Lee grew up and trained in ballet in her hometown of Langley before leaving to join Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB).
She moved up in her roles with the oldest ballet company in the country and now, takes the lead in a very Canadian performance. It shines a light on the history some Canadians find too painful to think about.
Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation runs at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver from April 7 to 9. It’s the story of Annie, a young, urban First Nations woman who explores her ancestors’ past.
The focus is on the experiences of those involved in the tragedies caused by Canada’s First Nations Residential School program.
The performance was commissioned by RWB and created with the support of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The pair of organizations approached writer Joseph Boyden, who created the story the ballet is based on. It was first performed in the fall of 2014 as part of RWB’s 75th anniversary.
Artistic director with RWB, André Lewis describes the ballet-interpreted story as one of the most important productions in the ballet company’s history.
“We feel immensely honoured to have been entrusted with this story – and to use the ethereal beauty of ballet to further an imperative dialogue around truth and reconciliation,” he said.
Tickets for Going Home Star – Truth and Reconciliation are available through ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-855-985-2787, or through rwb.org.
