Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn
Full-Length Production (Premiere May 2026)
Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe returns with his newest work for the company, Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn, a full-length narrative ballet that blazes across time and tradition and is set to original commissioned music by Cree cellist and composer Cris Derksen. Projections by Euro/Omushkego Cree artist Andy Moro will bring to life sterile cities and scorched forests, while costumes by Navajo/Cherokee designer Asa Benally layer each character with rich histories.
Set in a dystopian future where wildfire season has no end, a young Indigenous firefighter’s beliefs are challenged when he meets Mothkʷ, a fierce protector of ancestral knowledge who carries out cultural burns.
The word cikilaxʷm [tseeLAHkwum] means “prescribed fire” in nsyilxcən, the language belonging to the syilx (Okanagan) People. It relates to traditional burning practices that nourish the land and community, bringing healing and rejuvenation.
“Cameron’s artistry has resonated strongly with our community in the past, and Cikilaxʷm’s combination of powerful storytelling, Indigenous-led creative leadership, and collaboration with renowned artists such as Cris Derksen, Andy Moro, and Asa Benally ensures a work of profound artistic and cultural significance.”
Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn Studio Trailer
“This is not a tale of apocalypse, but of perseverance. Of memory that survives and endures. Of land that remembers how to heal.”
Developed in collaboration with the National Creation Fund at Canada’s National Arts Centre.
Photo: Emily Cooper / Artists of Ballet Kelowna
About Ballet Kelowna
Founded in 2002 in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Ballet Kelowna is a creation-based company that has evolved into a pivotal force within Canada’s dance landscape. Championing the presentation of contemporary ballet, the company’s prolific repertoire resonates with diverse audiences across the country. Ballet Kelowna’s Artistic Director and CEO, Simone Orlando, is an award-winning choreographer and former dancer with Ballet BC and The National Ballet of Canada.
Ballet Kelowna has been presented in over 90 Canadian communities, including recent debuts in Atlantic Canada and Quebec and has been invited to perform at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Toronto’s Fall for Dance North Festival. The company has also been selected to showcase at numerous performing arts conferences nationally and internationally and was recently named the 2024 Artistic Company of the Year by the BC Live Performance Network.
For all booking inquiries, please email Simone Orlando at ad.ceo@balletkelowna.ca
“We have nothing but positive things to say about the warmth, professionalism and visionary leadership that [Ballet Kelowna] has exhibited over the past few years under Simone’s leadership.”