Winnipeg ballet, symphony headline Prairie Scene

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet's new story ballet Alice in Wonderland and violinist James Ehnes playing with the Winnipeg Symphony head to Ottawa next spring as part of Prairie Scene.

The annual art festival in the National Capital Region, this year devoted to acts from Saskatchewan and Manitoba, will feature more than 500 artists and 80 events.

Saskatchewan-born superstar Buffy Sainte-Marie, folk rockers the Duhks, acoustic singers Wailin' Jennys and franco-Saskatchewan artist Alexis Normand are among the musical guests.

Ehnes, the Grammy-winning violinist originally from Brandon, Man., will play with the Winnipeg Symphony at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The symphony is playing there forthe first time since 1971.

Another classical highlight will be a reunion of Saskatchewan-raised siblings Malcolm Lowe, concertmaster of the Boston Symphony, and Darren Lowe,concertmaster ofthe Quebec Symphony, for a violin performance together.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet's Alice in Wonderland makes its debut next March in Winnipeg before heading to the NAC in April. The new ballet about a grown-up Alice has been choreographed by Shawn Hounsell with orchestral arrangements byJohn Estacio and Brian Current.

There is a rich assortment of theatre and dance in Prairie Scene including:

• Rearview bySaskatchewan playwright and performer Gilles Poulin, produced by Saskatoon's La Troupe du Jour.
• Gordon Winter, by Cree playwright Kenneth T. Williams, produced by Saskatoon's Persephone Theatre.
• Talk, written by Michael Nathanson and produced by Winnipeg's Jewish Theatre.
• Russell's World by Manitoba Theatre for Young People.
• Brent Lott and Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers.
• Claire Marchand performing flamenco.
• Avatar by emergingdancer-choreographerFreya Bjorg Olafson.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba visual arts being sent to Ottawa include a group of large-scale paintings by Wanda Koop form the Winnipeg Art Gallery and the work of Wally Dion, Marc Courtemanche and Amalie Atkins from Saskatchewan.

Prairie Scene is scheduled for April 26 to May 8, 2011, throughout the National Capital Region.