Arnold Theodore Spohr, (December 23, 1923 – April 12, 2010) was a Canadian ballet dancer, choreographer, and artistic director. Spohr was born in Rhein, Saskatchewan. From 1945 to 1954, he danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and was the artistic director of the company from 1958 to 1988, during which time he brought the company to international fame. In 1970 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and was promoted to Companion in 2003. In 2000, he was awarded the Order of Manitoba. In 1998, Spohr received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award, Canada's highest honour in the performing arts, for his lifetime contribution to dance. Spohr died on April 12, 2010 of chronic kidney disease in a Winnipeg long-term care centre at the age of 86. Notes An Instinct for Success: Arnold Spohr and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet by Michael Crabb References External links Arnold Theodore Spohr at The Canadian Encyclopedia Spohr, biography at Goethe Institute, (also possible in German, in French) 1923 births 2010 deaths Canadian male ballet dancers Companions of the Order of Canada Deaths from kidney disease Members of the Order of Manitoba People from Saskatchewan Ballet masters Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners