This upcoming performance featuring work by Vernon’s own Cameron Fraser-Monroe is part of the SPOTLIGHT Dance Series 2024-2025.

Touring BC this fall with a promising lineup from Ballet Kelowna’s contemporary ballet repertoire, The Cowboy Act Suite & Other Works performance includes Simone Orlando’s introspective Delicate Fire, Seiji Suzuki’s evocative Stolen Tide, and Cameron Fraser-Monroe’s satirical The Cowboy Act Suite. This high-energy program is here to please a wide range of audiences.

Audiences will be transported to the Wild West in Cameron Fraser-Monroe’s The Cowboy Act Suite, a work that explores the dichotomy between “Cowboys and Indians” set to music by Mohawk singer/songwriter Tom Wilson. While these caricatures have been portrayed on pages, stages, and in films, they are often penned from a colonial perspective. Fraser-Monroe’s intuitive take on the swashbuckling strut of the Cowboy informs this intellectual unpacking of a one-sided lens and flips the script to ask, what happens when an Indian directs the Cowboys through their history?

A contemporary reimagining of mythology, Simone Orlando’s Delicate Fire explores the emotional legend of Aphrodite and Adonis. Initially developed through a fellowship from the New York Choreographic Institute, this dynamic work moves from fast and rhythmic to slow and ethereal. This work is dedicated to Canadian composer Jocelyn Morlock and is set to two of her compositions.

Seiji Suzuki’s Stolen Tide is an appeal to cherish every moment spent with family, friends, and partners. Highlighting the importance of social connection, the fast-paced opening movement is a live study of the impact of a traumatic event, while conflict and discord give way to compassion and empathy in the touching and powerful second movement.

Ballet Kelowna brings a dynamic repertoire of contemporary ballet, touring across Canada and internationally. Known for works like Cameron Fraser-Monroe’s Taqəš and Alysa Pires’ Macbeth, Ballet Kelowna has garnered awards such as the BC Live Performance Network’s Artistic Company of the Year and the Lieutenant Governor’s Arts and Music Award. Dance enthusiasts will recall Ballet Kelowna’s most recent SPOTLIGHT Season performances of Taqəš and Other Works in Vernon.

There will be a ballet masterclass offered by Ballet Kelowna. Please visit ticketseller.ca to register.

For our 23rd Birthday Bash celebrations, doors open at 6:15 PM with drinks and a limited supply of delicious cake to kick off the evening. We encourage all of our Sponsors, Members, and Community Partners to join us for this exclusive pre-event Birthday Bash. It’s the perfect opportunity to mingle, enjoy some treats, and celebrate together before the main event. Don’t miss out!