Whether you go for a belated Valentine’s date, go with friends or even go peacefully alone, you’re going to want to head down to Kelowna Ballet’s latest performance — Turning Point! The double bill will open their curtains for the two world premieres, Mustard and Delicate Fire.

Turning Point will be hitting the Kelowna Community Theatre, so mark your calendars for February 16 and 17 at 7:30 p.m. because you won’t want to miss it. 

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Turning Point is the second performance of this milestone winter season. This season marks the 10th anniversary of Artistic Director and CEO, Simone Orlando, leading Kelowna Ballet. While it is Orlando who choreographed Delicate Fire, the team onboarded, for a third time, the talented Robert Stephen to choreograph his new piece, Mustard. 

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The stage will open Mustard, a story about an imaginary friend who outstays his welcome in the human world. It’s a whimsical and comedic, yet thoughtful narrative that is accompanied by an original score by iconic Canadian composer Owen Belton. We had the wonderful opportunity to interview Stephen and personally ask him about the piece. 

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We thought it would be valuable to ask Stephen what he hopes the audience takes away from this experience. He replied:

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“Well, first, I hope that they’re transported into the world that we create in this show. I love going to a live dance performance, just to be completely swept up into a different kind of universe. A universe that’s literally beyond words, because there’s no spoken text in our show. It’s only music and movement. But then I also hope that by the end of Mustard, the audience is moved in some way, and I don’t want to prescribe what that is, because something I love about the play it’s based on, is that it has the ability to be funny and heartbreaking at the same time. And if someone laughs and someone else cries, I will be equally happy. I just hope that they’re moved.”

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This memorable ballet is actually an adaption from Canadian playwright Kat Sandler’s award-winning work. Curious, we asked Stephen what inspired him to adapt this play, and he explained to us:

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“I had already been familiar with Kat Sandler’s work because we were both based in Toronto, and I first saw one of her plays. The first time I saw one of her plays was in 2012, and I’ve been following her work very closely ever since. I am a huge fan and we know each other as well. So, I called Kat, and I was just thrilled that not only she was up to participate in this adaptation, but she also suggested Mustard as being her first choice out of her existing work to translate into dance. Based on all of her plays that I’d seen, this one has an inherent sense of extreme theatricality with the elements of the imaginary friend world.”

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Stephen further elucidated the process of bringing this project to life, sharing, “Kat’s been a resource along the way, but I’ve done this adaptation together with the creative team of this piece. So with the team from Ballet Kelowna and with our brilliant composer named Owen Belton, who’s writing an entire new musical score for this show . . . I’m working very closely with him, with the costume designer, whose name is Krista Dowson, and with the rest of the creative team to bring the ideas together.”

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The second piece is Simone Orlando’s world premiere of Delicate Fire, an exploration of Greek mythology. Stephen described the piece as “digging into the dramatic lives of Greek gods and goddesses. Their stories were never dull.” The piece is accompanied by an orphic score by celebrated Canadian composer Jocelyn Morlock, in memory of him. The piece is heavily inspired by Morlock’s evocative music, of which flutes and piano are inspired by the works of the Greek poet Sappho.

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Don’t miss Turning Point because it is sure to touch you, one way or another, and have you leaving the theatre with a wide smile — a memorable night to be remembered. Students will be getting a generously discounted price. And, as a greater bonus, you can save an extra 10 per cent with the code bkfriend10. 

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So take advantage of this opportunity and get your seats because tickets are selling hot! Find more information on the official Kelowna Ballet website (balletkelowna.ca) for more information and ticket pricing. You can also visit their Instagram page @balletkelowna to stay up to date.

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