Ballet Kelowna: Mambo & Other Works

It’s a special event when 9 dancers grace the stage at The Bailey Theatre in Trail. Ballet Kelowna performs the high-energy program, MAMBO and Other Works, showcasing a variety of styles - tango, traditional and modern ballet - on Thursday, November 21 at 7:30 pm.

Part of the Trail & District Arts Council’s Performing Arts Trail Series, the show features nine ballet dancers performing three pieces: Wen Wei Wang’s dynamic work 1723 – Vivaldi, the thrilling tango-inspired Cuatro Estaciones from Ballet Kelowna’s visionary Artistic Director Simone Orlando, and Alysa Pires’ vivacious audience favourite MAMBO.

“We are thrilled to share with audiences across the province our commitment to the creation and celebration of works by Canadian dance artists, recognized on the national and international stage,” says Orlando. “MAMBO and Other Works showcases the most successful pieces in our repertoire and promises to inspire and entertain.”

The program will open with Ballet Kelowna-commissioned 1723 – Vivaldi by “one of the country’s most in-demand choreographers” (The Globe and Mail), Chinese-Canadian dance luminary Wen Wei Wang. With the dancers dressed all in white, the piece is bare, mesmerizing, and haunting and features extreme technical prowess from its sextet of dancers, with complex pointe work and powerful extensions.

Next, Cuatro Estaciones breathes a vibrant passion as the piece uses the infectious rhythms and colourful spirit of Buenos Aires, Argentina in this tango-infused work. Featuring the dynamic talents of the full company who perform fiery steps in stunning group formations and seductive duets, this fresh interpretation is set to virtuoso composer Astor Piazzolla’s innovative nuevo tango Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, which blends the traditional Argentine tango with elements of jazz and classical music.

To end the program, audiences will be treated to another commissioned piece, Alysa Pires’ MAMBO, which has toured the world gaining international acclaim. A sweet, silly, sensual, and sassy piece Pires’ “crowd-pleasing MAMBO” (The Globe and Mail) is a colourful joie de vivre set to a vibrant soundtrack of Latin, swing, and jazz standards by musical legends such as Dean Martin, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, Sarah Vaughn, and more.

Founded in 2002, Ballet Kelowna is the sole professional dance company in BC’s Interior. The organization is committed to its role as a leader in the region through encouraging, promoting, and developing Canadian dancers and choreographers. Simone Orlando is an award-winning choreographer and former dancer with Ballet BC and The National Ballet of Canada.

Tickets are $30 for adults, with incredible $10 tickets for anyone under 19 years of age, and student tickets at $15. Go online to thebailey.ca, call 250-368-9669, or drop into the Cedar Avenue Box Office to purchase.

This is the second in an exciting series of shows that will be followed by: Allison Girvan and Laura Landsberg bringing their album Feels Like Home to the theatre on January 21, 2020; Sarah Hagen & Brendan McLeod telling the story of Rachmaninoff through music and spoken-word in Exultation on February 4, 2020; and Élage Diouf and his band charming us with their blend of pop, world, blues, folk and asiko on February 18, 2020.

The Performing Arts Trail series is sponsored by Century 21 Kootenay Homes Ltd. and Teck Trail Operations and made possible by the generous support of BC Arts Council, BC Touring Council and the Government of Canada.