preeminent Canadian ballet company that was the first to be designated “royal” (1953). Originating in Winnipeg's Ballet Club, established in 1938 by Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally, the group staged its first production in 1939, becoming a professional company 10 years later. As the sponsor of the first Canadian Ballet Festival (1948), the company gave an important impetus to the regional ballet festival movement. A combination of standard classical ballets and original works, such as Shadow on the Prairie (1952) and Rose Latulippe (1966), two ballets based on Canadian themes, make up the repertoire.