Rachel Browne
| Rachel Browne | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Ray Minkoff November 6, 1934 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | June 9, 2012 (aged 77) Ottawa, Ontario |
| Occupation | Dancer, artistic director, fundraiser, teacher, choreographer |
| Former groups | Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers, Royal Winnipeg Ballet |
Rachel Browne (born Ray Minkoff; November 6, 1934 – June 9, 2012) was a dancer, teacher and choreographer based in Winnipeg. She founded Canada's longest running modern dance company in 1964 called Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers and was its artistic director until 1983. She remained with the company as a fundraiser and advisor, and continued to teach dance. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 1997 and the Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers performance venue was renamed The Rachel Browne Theatre in 2008. She died in 2012 in Ottawa while visiting to watch a performance at the Canada Dance Festival.
Browne's early dance training was in ballet and after graduating from high school she moved to New York City to train with Robert Joffrey and Benjamin Harkarvy. Harkarvy became the artistic director of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1957 and asked Browne to accompany him and become one of the company's dancers. She danced with the company until her retirement as a ballerina in 1961, citing a need to care for her young family.
Upon her retirement Browne began a teaching career at the Lhotka School of Ballet. At the same time, Browne began choreographing new works. Her first piece was Odetta's Songs and Dances in 1964 which showcased an earthy modern dance that differed from her ballet training.
Browne formed a new dance company in 1964 called Contemporary Dancers, which later changed its name to Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers. Browne took on the roles of dancer, choreographer, teacher, fundraiser and administrator for the new company. She also traveled to New York yearly to study Limón and Graham modern dance technique and acquiring new dance pieces for the company. By 1970, the company was a professional dance company receiving Canada Council grants and in 1972 Browne founded the School of Contemporary Dancers to train future modern dancers.
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