Discover your ticket to a world of dance!
Four unique dance performances are scheduled as part of the coming season’s Spotlight Dance Series. Courtesy Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre
The Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre shines a spotlight on the exciting diversity reflected through dance this season.
Four unique dance performances are scheduled as part of the coming season’s Spotlight Dance Series, starting with The Cowboy Act Suite & Other Works by the Okanagan’s own Ballet Kelowna, Sept. 18, and concluding in February with dance and music from Colombia’s Sankofa Danzafro.
“I try to bring diverse experiences so people can see different types of dance, and can learn about other countries and cultures,” says Erin Kennedy, Artistic Director, Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre.
And the best news for dance fans: Dance Series subscribers get the very best seats for the very best price: Four shows for just $150 – a savings of 25 per cent.
In The Cowboy Act Suite & Other Works, performed along with two other dance pieces,Cameron Fraser-Monroe explores the dichotomy between “Cowboys and Indians.” While these caricatures have been portrayed on pages, stages and in films, they are often penned from a colonial perspective. Here, Fraser-Monroe’s flips the script to ask, what happens when an Indian directs the cowboys through their history?
“It’s a poignant and somtimes humourous look at how the west was settled,” Kennedy says, noting the music – by Tim Wilson, of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, is also a key part of creating a really accessible dance experience. “It’s a great first foray into dance.”
Oct. 28 brings Social Tango, an authentic, immersive experience exploring the social value of dance that transports audiences to an evening in the heart of Buenos Aires, set to the rhythm of the milonga by multidisciplinary choreographer Agustina Videla and performed with a live tang0 band.
“Coming all the way from Buenos Aires, Argentina, this is a beautiful mix of music, dance and film,” Kennedy says. “You can escape for the evening to Buenos Aires and experience a different culture, without even leaving home.”
The new year brings a ballet for the whole family, when Ballet Jörgen presents Sleeping Beauty Feb. 6. “Our community loves classical ballet, and especially storybook ballet – feel free to bring your tiara!” Erin says, noting this production will sell out, so be sure to reserve your seat early.
Danced to Tchaikovsky’s original score, this new ballet tells the enchanting story of Aurora and her prince, complete with its inherently magical qualities and dazzling choreography.
An ensemble with stunning costumes and captivating lighting design, this classic fairy tale is guaranteed to provide an evening of entertaining and inspiring live dance performance.
Rounding out the dance series Feb. 18 is The City of Others, an interesting piece about the Afro-Colombian diaspora, performed by the powerful dancers and musicians of Sankofa Danzafro.
“Sankofa” means “to return to the roots,” an African philosophy that proposed to know the past as a condition for understanding the present. Based in Medellín, Colombia, the company’s The City of Others demands the city be a place of coexistence, a place for everybody, not only the few.
Secure your seat for every show
New and renewing subscribers can visit TicketSeller.ca or call the Box Office at 250-549-SHOW (7469) to secure your seats. Single tickets go on sale on June 15. Subscribe today here!