Strate had recently completed a law degree at the University of Alberta and had passed the bar. During his university years, he began training and performing in an amateur dance group at the university led by a German Expressionist modern dancer named Laine Metz. Franca saw choreographic potential in Strate and invited him to join the company. Strate used to joke that he traded one bar for another barre. Strate became known as a statesman of Canadian dance. At the National Ballet, he was the first Resident Choreographer and spent two decades there. He created the first degree-granting university dance program, at York University, in the 1970s; played a seminal role in arts advocacy through his work with the Dance in Canada Association; initiated the National Choreographic Seminars to aid the development of choreographers in Canada; and directed the School of the Arts at Simon Fraser University, in addition to his work as a teacher and choreographer. (Letter from Jim Bolsby Collection)