CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF ART

ASPIRATIONS • REFLECTIONS • TRANSFORMATIONS

BALLET KELOWNA’S 2022/23 SEASON IS PRESENTED BY
THE THOMAS ALAN BUDD FOUNDATION

A MESSAGE FROM BALLET KELOWNA’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CEO:

On November 2, 2003, Ballet Kelowna gave its debut performance at the Kelowna Community Theatre. The program included Les Sylphides, the Pas de Trois from Paquita, Breaks by Brian Macdonald, and the world premiere of Founding Artistic Director David LaHay’s The Promise of Angels, a work dedicated to Myles and Stephani Bruckal, founding members of the Kelowna Ballet Society.

Since that inaugural performance, there have been many triumphs and hurdles, but Ballet Kelowna has remained devoted to its mandate to encourage, promote, and develop Canadian dance artists. The organization has commissioned 60 works by 24 contemporary choreographers and employed 68 dancers, the majority of whom began their professional careers with Ballet Kelowna.

For our 20th anniversary season, we are pleased to feature three works by our first Artist in Residence, Cameron Fraser-Monroe: taqəš, a work commissioned for Ballet Kelowna's 2021 digital season, and two world premieres including a longer evening-length work. We will also unveil new works by Robert Stephen and Esie Mensah, showcase visionary choreographer John Alleyne’s Split House Geometric, and present the in-person premieres of Seiji Suzuki’s Stolen Tide and Kirsten Wicklund’s Disembark.

Ballet Kelowna proudly partners with the Rotary Centre for the Arts to present the Dancers of Damelahamid’s Mînowin on October 8. With a rich history of masked dance, this world-renowned Indigenous dance company from the Northwest Coast of BC transforms time and space, bridging the customary with a living practice. I encourage you to attend this thought-provoking and moving performance that reflects on Indigenous identity.

We kick off this milestone year with a new initiative, the Pop-Series: Dance by the Lake, August 24–27. Join us in Kelowna’s City Park for free multi-disciplinary dance classes, demonstrations, and a special outdoor performance.

The 2022/23 season celebrates the incredible dedication of all those who have helped build Ballet Kelowna – our patrons, donors, members, volunteers, board members, staff, collaborators, and dance artists. Ballet Kelowna’s aspirations have shaped our vision and solidified the organization as a leading voice in the dance community. Our goal to bring engaging and insightful performances to Canada’s diverse audiences has been informed by continual reflection. Furthermore, in providing opportunities for the next generation of choreographers, Ballet Kelowna has empowered young artists to create transformational works that reimagine the art form.

Thank you to all who have been a part of our twenty-year journey of aspirations, reflections, and transformations. We could not have done it without you