From the birthplace of Canadian confederation comes "A royal treat" - a review by Todd MacLean, in The Guardian, of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's mixed repertoire program which just toured Canada's Maritime provinces to warmly rapturous acclaim.

In the following excerpt from his review of the company's Charlottetown, PEI performance, MacLean focuses on that part of the program which wedded rock's poetics to ballet:

"Most definitely the highlight of the night came with the second half’s presentation of The Doorway: Scenes from Leonard Cohen, choreographed by Jorden Morris.

Four songs and one poem were featured: The Letters; Bird on a Wire; Sisters of Mercy and Hallelujah, with the poem Since You Asked from the CD Born to the Breed as spoken word Cohen interview-clip introductions began each one of them and interpretive dancing began over top of this audio.

To top it off, three of these songs were performed live by B.C. recording artist Allison Crowe, seated at a grand piano to the left of the stage.

With an a cappella version of Sisters of Mercy, she sent chills up the spine as dancers in white flowing dresses illustrated each line and melody in perfect expression.

And Hallelujah, naturally the finale to the presentation, I would have to say was probably one of the most beautiful performances I have ever seen in my entire life.

Just one ballerina, clad in white, a chair and a spotlight. And the clang of the chair as she (Jo-Ann Sundermeier) pushed it to the ground at the line, 'she tied you to her kitchen chair,' probably expressed most flawlessly that sense of raw emotion — in that vulnerable, affected and yet harshly enduring sense — that I have ever witnessed in a presentation of this sacred song.

They received an immediate standing ovation as the piece ended."