Major Accomplishments
About Ballet Kelowna
• Ballet Kelowna enjoys a widespread reputation documented through many critical reviews from regional media that laud the breathtaking beauty and excellence of the Company, which performs high quality dance in intimate settings, making ballet accessible to audiences throughout BC and beyond.
• Named “2008 Touring Artist of the Year” by the BC Touring Council, Ballet Kelowna has captivated audiences each year and grown from seven performances in six communities its first year to more than 50 performances, 13,000 audience members, in 33 BC & Alberta communities annually.
• Ballet Kelowna continues to launch the careers of aspiring professional Canadian dancers by employing six talented dancers for 36 weeks per year to train, rehearse and perform a diverse repertoire of classical and innovative dance. Because of the excellent training and experience Ballet Kelowna dancers receive, several have gone on to be scouted and hired by the Alberta Ballet, Ballet British Columbia, Ballet Jorgen, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet and others. In total, Ballet Kelowna has provided career development opportunities to twenty-five Canadian dancers.
• Ballet Kelowna has boldly commissioned six emerging Canadian choreographers to set new works on Ballet Kelowna (including the new work by Gioconda Barbuto being premiered this fall). The Company’s repertoire currently numbers 32 ballets and excerpts plus The Nutcracker. In the words of choreographer Josh Beamish, “to create a work for a ballet company is a landmark moment in the career of a choreographer.” David LaHay has choreographed 11 original works for the company and staged many works from both the classical and contemporary milieu.
• Ballet Kelowna presents fun educational programmes to primary through secondary school children, introducing 1600 students annually to this art form and demystifying ballet. For the majority, this is their first experience of ballet, giving them an education and appreciation for the discipline, athleticism, and dedication that is required in this performing art. Ballet Kelowna has produced Kelowna Dances and Penticton Dances to showcase the talent of all dance students participating in local dance programs.
• Ballet Kelowna is a disciplined, financially responsible and well-managed company evidenced by balanced budgets and formal reviews. As a commitment to our future, in 2005 Ballet Kelowna established an Endowment Fund of $64,000 with the Central Okanagan Foundation and developed a Planned Giving Program providing donors with more opportunities to realize potential tax benefits.
• Artistic Director David LaHay served as Artistic Director for the inaugural Okanagan Summer Dance Intensive 2008 which was re-established in Kelowna after many years at The Banff Centre, with eminent teachers training 65 students and 10 professionals who came from across Canada.
• Ballet Kelowna received the Okanagan Arts Award 2009.
• David LaHay received the Angel Award for excellence in the arts from the Central Okanagan Arts Council in 2006 in recognition of his contribution to Kelowna’s cultural mosaic.
• Ballet Kelowna received a Medici Grant from the BC Arts Renaissance Fund managed by the Vancouver Foundation to hire a Development Manager for two years September 2007-2009.
