The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is the oldest 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.

The name was changed to the "Winnipeg Ballet" in 1941 and it was granted its royal title in 1953, the first granted under the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.

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.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet began to tour Canada in 1945; it completed its first American tour in 1954. Today, the company spends 20 or more weeks a year on the road, presenting more than 100 performances every year in centres large and small.

The company also mounts four productions a year in Winnipeg's premier performing arts venue, the Centennial Concert Hall. The company solidified its reputation under the artistic directorship of Arnold Spohr from 1958 to 1988. Andre Lewis is the current artistic director; he was appointed in 1996.

The dancer most associated with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet has been Evelyn Hart. Born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1956, she made her professional debut with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 1976. In 1980 she was awarded the bronze medal at the World Ballet Concours in Japan, and the gold medal at the prestigious International Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, where she also received the Exceptional Artistic Achievement Award. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 1983. She left the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 2005.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Professional Division is an exclusive, full-time classical ballet training program for students in grades 6 through 12. The school includes approximately 70 young dancers, selected from around the world, and graduates have international careers in top companies in Canada and abroad. The current building opened in January, 1988.

In 2002, The Royal Winnipeg Ballet's interpretation of the story of Dracula, choreographed by Mark Godden, was filmed in a made for television titled Dracula: Pages from a Virgin's Diary directed by Guy Maddin. The film eventually was released theatrically.