Countermove
November 7 + 8, 2025 / Kelowna Community Theatre
Friday at 7:30 PM / Saturday at 1:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Ballet Kelowna’s 2025/26 season opens with Countermove, a powerful triple bill featuring an electric collection of works that pushes the boundaries of ballet. With a daring new commission by Alexis Fletcher and Sylvain Senez, the return of Simone Orlando’s multi-dimensional Doppeling, and Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe’s action-packed The Cowboy Act Suite, this program counters expectations with bold, uncompromising movement.
World Premiere
still before
Choreography: Alexis Fletcher and Sylvain Senez
Music: Ben Waters
Vancouver-based Belle Spirale Dance Projects' Artistic Directors Alexis Fletcher and Sylvain Senez bring their celebrated artistry to Kelowna for the first time in a stunning new work that explores the fleeting nature of time. Their visceral and emotionally-driven movement will bring to life the urgent desire to grasp hold of the present as they explore the paradoxical pull of past and future. This gripping world premiere features an original composition by Ben Waters.
Doppeling
Choreography: Simone Orlando
Music: J.S. Bach, Double Violin Concerto
Originally created for Ballet BC in 2009 and later remounted by both Ballet BC and Ballet Kelowna, Simone Orlando’s Doppeling has been described by The Georgia Straight as “a gender-bending vision of doppelganger ballerinas breaking loose.” Set to J.S. Bach’s Double Violin Concerto, the piece features the ensemble clad in identical shimmering gold unitards and sleek bobbed wigs. A mesmerizing commentary on conformity and individuality, Doppeling is at once playful, serene, and stylishly subversive.
The Cowboy Act Suite
Choreography: Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe
Music: iskwē and Tom Wilson
After its successful 2023 debut, Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe’s The Cowboy Act was reimagined for the road as The Cowboy Act Suite, with refreshed scenes and new surprises for touring audiences. Set to music by Tom Wilson and iskwē, the work includes a life-sized chuckwagon blasting across the stage. A sharp and satirical take on the “Cowboys and Indians” trope, this production reclaims the narrative by putting the Indigenous voice in the director’s chair – challenging whose story gets told, and by whom.
Ballet Kelowna gratefully acknowledges our 2025/26 season sponsor:
2025/26 Season Brochure
Ballet Kelowna Performance FAQs
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- Ballet Kelowna does not have a dress code, though some patrons enjoy dressing up to attend a ballet performance. We recommend comfortable clothing appropriate for a professional setting.
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- Limited parking is available on Doyle Ave beside the Kelowna Community Theatre. The nearby Library Plaza Parkade is the most accessible and available parking for performances at the Kelowna Community Theatre.
- Additionally, there is parking available in the Ellis St. Parkade, beside the Kelowna Heritage Museum, or in the Kelowna City Hall parking lot across from the theatre.
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- Yes! A bar will be available before the show and during intermissions. All concession and bar drinks and snacks are allowed in the auditorium unless otherwise specified.
- Patrons are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy drinks while listening to our pre-show chat with Ballet Kelowna’s Artistic Director and CEO, Simone Orlando and visiting choreographers.
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- Yes! All patrons are invited to join Artistic Director and CEO Simone Orlando for our pre-show chat with visiting choreographers from 6:45 PM–7:05 PM in the lower lobby of the Kelowna Community Theatre. Learn about the vision, themes, movement, and music behind the works on the program!
- Opening night receptions after the show are available to Creators’ Circle members who donate $500 or more annually. Learn more about becoming a Creators’ Circle member here.
- Post-show receptions following our season finale performances are available to season subscribers. Learn more about our subscription package here.
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- The Kelowna Community Theatre has 6 wheelchair accessible seats with 6 companion seats. Auris Loop Hearing Assist System is available in the lobby, please contact the theatre for more information.
- For further accessibility concerns please contact the Kelowna Community Theatre: 250.469.8944
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- Turn off all electronic devices so as not to disturb the performers or other audience members.
- Please do not text message as the screen lights up and disrupts the show for those around you.
- Please remove any hats to allow the person in the seat behind you to fully enjoy the show. Do not place your feet on the seat in front of you.
- Photography of any kind is not permitted during a performance. Audio and video recordings are strictly forbidden under copyright laws.
- Please avoid leaving your seat throughout the performance out of respect for the dancers. Intermissions are scheduled for patrons’ and dancers’ convenience.
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- In the interest of all patrons and performers, latecomers will not be seated once the performance begins and must wait until a suitable break, which will likely be during the next pause or intermission. Monitors are provided in the lobby. Patrons who leave during a performance will not be allowed to re-enter the theatre until a suitable break.
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- Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to show time to allow you to park your car, purchase refreshments, and find your seat before the show starts. The time posted on your ticket is the time the performance begins.
- Doors to the Kelowna Community Theatre open one hour before the performance begins.
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- Performance programs will be available for patrons at all entrances to the auditorium. Programs contain performance and production credits, program synopsis, dancer bios, and other pertinent information. We ask that couples share a house program to ensure all attendees can receive a program.
- Each piece on our mixed programs will be introduced by Ballet Kelowna’s Artistic Director and CEO Simone Orlando to provide context for the works.