Celebrating female choreographers
At a time when women’s vision is roaring to the forefront across a range of artistic endeavors, Ballet Kelowna is proud to present work created by some of Canada’s most accomplished female artists in Elles: Extraordinary Dance Created by Women, Friday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kelowna Community Theatre.
This dynamic and vibrant mixed dance program features two world premieres by celebrated Canadian choreographers Gioconda Barbuto and Alysa Pires — who is making her choreographic debut with Ballet Kelowna, along with Folie à Cinq by Heather Myers and Glas by Gabrielle Lamb.
“In the world of ballet, female choreographers are rare,“said Ballet Kelowna’s artistic director and CEO Simone Orlando.
“As the very first choreographer commissioned to create a new work for Ballet Kelowna back in 2005, I am particularly proud of our company’s history of promoting women. By supporting the artistic development of these female artists, we hope to inspire other companies to do the same. We want our audiences to know that amazing work is being created right here in Kelowna, and that our emphasis on supporting Canadian dance artists needs to be shared across the country.”
The as-yet unnamed world premiere by Giocondo Barbuto will be the fourth work she has created for Ballet Kelowna, following Negotiating Shifts (2008), Capture (2011), and Eight and Sand (2017). An internationally renowned Italian-Canadian dancer and choreographer, Barbuto was a long-time member of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Nederlands Dans Theater III.
Trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, The Banff Centre, and under the tutelage of Gladys Forrester in Toronto, she was quickly recognized as a versatile and magnetic soloist.
The second new work on the Elles program is by Alysa Pires, whose roots in Kelowna date back to her grandparents’ relocation from France in the 1960s to found Pires Orchard and help establish Kelowna’s Farmers’ Market. Today, her uncles Joe and Gilbert own Pires Bros Concrete, a Kelowna-based company that serves the entire Okanagan. This is the first time Ballet Kelowna has commissioned Pires to create a work for the company.
She says of her dance creation, “Everything feels cold right now: the weather, the news. The world feels like a bleak place. I wanted to make something delightful: a warm, fuzzy, joyful escape. We’re working on a piece that uses Latin Swing and jazz tunes, and channels artists such as Dean Martin, Rosemary Clooney, and Perry Como. This piece will help audience members shed the winter blues and inspire everyone to get up and dance, and celebrate even in the darkest of times.”
Pires is an Honours BFA graduate from Ryerson School of Performance and the recipient of the 2015 Jack McAllister Award that recognizes alumni accomplishment. Her company, Alysa Pires Dance Projects, made its critically acclaimed full-length debut with Exterminating Angel at the 2016 Toronto Fringe Festival. She is currently working with The National Ballet of Canada as part of its Choreographic Workshop.
In 2016, Folie à Cinq was created by esteemed Canadian choreographer Heather Myers through a commission by Ballet Kelowna in collaboration with Toronto’s Continuum Contemporary Music. Michael Oesterle was called upon to compose a multifaceted musical piece based on Folie d’espagne by Jean Bapiste Lully. Described as “quirky and playful,” Folie à Cinq weaves a vibrant, fanciful tale that conjures up the magic and madness of artists past and present.
Tickets are $47.50 (adults), $42.50 (seniors) and $27 (students and children) and available in person at Orchard Park Shopping Centre or online at balletkelowna.ca or phone at 250-862-2867. There is also a preperformance party. Tickets for that wine event and talk are $25 plus GST.