Tara Birtwhistle has danced at the pinnacle of professional ballet for most of her career. She joined the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1991, was made principal dancer in 2000, and has been Ballet Master for 11 years. She has represented the company and danced all over the world during her nearly 30-year career, including a performance for the Queen.

Now the Associate Artistic Director of RWB, Tara has taken a more directorial and mentorship role, Tara is focusing on the next generation of dancers, and keeping the Arts alive and thriving in her community.

I sat down with Tara to talk about the sacrifice required to thrive in the world of ballet, the challenge of telling stories through movement, and the importance of dance, creativity, and the arts to our society.