Former Principal Dancer, Tara Birtwhistle & Mrs. Asper

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Mrs. Babs Asper, a dear friend to us and a champion of the Winnipeg arts community.

A longtime member of RWB’s Patrons’ Circle, Mrs. Asper was a true supporter of our efforts to create and perform new works to audiences at home and abroad. Mrs. Asper made a significant personal donation to RWB’s Creations Endowment Fund which supports the creation of new ballets, and she was instrumental in The Asper Foundation’s tremendous support as Production Benefactor of A Cinderella Story, a full-length ballet with prominent jazz elements created to launch the RWB’s 65^th anniversary in 2004.

In 2010, The Asper Foundation was the lead sponsor of the RWB’s 70^th anniversary tour to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa. Mrs. Asper had planned to attend the tour’s opening night performance in Tel Aviv, but was held back by an injury a few weeks prior.

The generous and dedicated support of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet over the years by Mrs. Asper, the Asper family and The Asper Foundation has helped ensure the RWB will continue to create and perform outstanding ballet for audiences throughout the world for decades to come. For all of us at the RWB, this will be Babs Asper’s valuable legacy.

PHOTO CREDIT: RHEO CATT