Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn
Full-Length Production
Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn is a full-length narrative contemporary ballet by Tla’amin choreographer Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe. Set in a dystopian future where wildfire season has no end, the piece follows the journey of a young Indigenous firefighter whose beliefs are challenged when he meets Mothkʷ, a trickster-teacher figure and fierce protector of ancestral knowledge. The word cikilaxʷm [tseekiLAHkwum] means “prescribed fire” in nsyilxən, the language belonging to the syilx (Okanagan) People referring to traditional fire stewardship that restores the land and revitalizes community. Featuring a commissioned score by Cree cellist and composer Cris Derksen, the production is further brought to life with evocative projections by Euro/Omushkego Cree artist Andy Moro and costume design by Navajo/Cherokee artist Asa Benally.
Developed in collaboration with the National Creation Fund at Canada’s National Arts Centre, Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn is both a cultural reclamation and a vision of resilience, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and artistry.
Duration: 95 minutes (including an intermission)
Crew: 11 dancers + 3 production crew + 2 artistic staff
Load-In: Day Prior
Audience Size: Medium and large venues
Outreach: Talkbacks / Masterclasses in ballet or contemporary dance (students age 12+)
For all booking inquiries, please email Simone Orlando at ad.ceo@balletkelowna.ca
“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.”
Co-produced by:
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.
“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.”