Ballet Kelowna unveils lineup for new season
Ballet Kelowna’s upcoming season will feature five world premieres by female choreographers, two company premieres, and two audience favourites, artistic director and CEO Simone Orlando announced on Thursday.
“For the 2018-19 season, we continue our initiative to commission and create exciting new works right here in Kelowna — works that are capturing the interest of international presenters and festivals,” said Orlando in a news release.
“We are thrilled to be taking a selection of our made-in-Kelowna repertoire to the Fall for Dance North festival in Toronto and the China International Performing Arts Expo in Beijing this fall before returning home to perform for local audiences.”
The Kelowna performance season begins with Autumn on Nov. 16-17. In this performance, the company will debut another work by renowned choreographer John Alleyne called Schubert. Also on the program will be the premiere of In Between, a work originally created for the National Ballet of Canada by Alysa Pires. The program closes with the popular MAMBO, also by Pires.
Winter on Feb. 1 promises to be a unique blend of dance and musical theatre in film and television choreographer Heather Laura Gray’s first commission for the company.
Orlando will premiere an evocative new work inspired by Astor Piazzolla’s Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. Also on the program, 1723Vivaldi, a work by Wen Wei Wang commissioned for Ballet Kelowna in 2017.
The season culminates with Spring on May 3-4, which features the world premieres of three reimagined classics — The Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring.
These works will resurface through the voices of top BC-based female choreographers — Orlando, Amber Funk Barton and Heather Dotto.
Also on the schedule for Ballet Kelowna this season are:
Raising the Barre, Aug. 24 — the premiere of a documentary focusing on Orlando. Proceeds will support the company’s commissioning and touring activities in the 2018/19 season. For tickets and more information, visit balletkelowna.ca.
The Nutcracker, Dec. 7-9, presented by The Canadian School of Ballet — Ballet Kelowna artists guest star and Ballet Kelowna subscribers enjoy their same seats.
Cuba Vibra, March 14 — Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba brings 17 dancers and an eight-piece live band for their Kelowna debut. Ballet Kelowna subscribers enjoy 15 per cent off single ticket prices and their same seats to Cuba Vibra.
Subscription and single-event tickets will be available through Kelowna Tickets, online at balletkelowna.ca or by phone at 250-8622867. Subscriptions bought before Sept. 16 will be entered into draws for tickets to a Kelowna Actors Studio 2018-19 production. Single tickets go on sale Sept. 10.
All performances will be at the Kelowna Community Theatre.
The three main programs will include complimentary tasting of featured Quails’ Gate wines.