Ballet Kelowna is preparing to present Restless Balance, a mixed program

Ballet brings the romance

Ballet Kelowna is preparing to present Restless Balance, a mixed program featuring a world premiere and two returning works, on Feb. 13 and 14 at the Kelowna Community Theatre.

The program includes Threefold Beat, a new collaborative work created by rehearsal director Joanna Lige alongside company dancers Kurt Werner and Donaldo Nava. Lige describes the piece as “a bit of a love letter to the heart and the circulatory system.”

“So it's using this theme of like the pulse, the drive, the pumping, the flow of the heart, as a catalyst to create a beautiful piece of movement and ballet,” Lige said. “So we're really excited to share.”

Alongside the premiere, the triple bill features Schubert by John Alleyne and taqəš by Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe, a work Ballet Kelowna has toured extensively across Canada.

Preparing a mixed program requires juggling both new creation and reconstruction, Lige said. “We're creating a new work, but it's also sharing the program with two existing works… it means kind of going back through videos and re-creating what has already been done, and then trying to, like, elevate it to the next level.”

Lige believes the program offers something for both seasoned ballet-goers and newcomers.

“What I've heard from audience members is they're surprised and delighted by their experience,” she said. “It's not, maybe what you expect… it's very physical. It's very exciting.”

Restless Balance runs Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 14 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets and information are available at balletkelowna.ca.