Ballet Kelowna Pays Tribute To Retiring Dancer Desiree Bortolussi In ODE

Ballet Kelowna will open its 2024/25 season with Ode, in celebration of long-time company artist Desiree Bortolussi, at the Kelowna Community Theatre, November 8 + 9, 2024, at 7:30pm.

The vibrant mixed program will mark Bortolussi's retirement, after 13 years with Ballet Kelowna. The senior artist will be featured prominently in all three pieces, including the return of signature works – Simone Orlando's seductive Cuatro Estaciones and Guillaume Côté's riveting Bolero – as well as the Canadian premiere of the virtuosic The Reassuring Effects (of Form and Poetry) from trailblazing American choreographer Trey McIntyre, who makes his debut choreographic appearance with Ballet Kelowna.

“While a bittersweet moment in Ballet Kelowna's history, we are delighted to showcase Desiree's artistry for Kelowna audiences, in what is sure to be an emotional, yet triumphant, farewell to a beloved company artist,” says Simone Orlando, Ballet Kelowna Artistic Director and CEO. “For her final performances, we were eager to create a program that would highlight her exceptional breadth as a dancer, both in her ability to embody a wide range of roles as well as her technical mastery. We extend our sincerest gratitude to Desiree for her innumerable contributions to Ballet Kelowna, and wish her a lifetime of health and happiness in her future endeavours.”

Bortolussi was born and raised in Kelowna, where she trained at the Canadian School of Ballet. She joined Ballet Kelowna as an apprentice in 2012, and was promoted to company artist the following year. Over the course of her celebrated career, Bortolussi originated more than 40 roles, performing in works by renowned choreographers such as John Alleyne, James Kudelka, Simone Orlando, Alysa Pires, and Guillaume Côté. Two of her most cherished roles include Blanche Dubois in John Alleyne's A Streetcar Named Desire and Lady Macbeth in Alysa Pires' Macbeth.

Following her retirement from Ballet Kelowna, Bortolussi will begin a registered massage therapy course in January 2025.

“As I prepare for my final performance with Ballet Kelowna after 13 wonderful years, I'm overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude for the incredible memories throughout my rich career,” says Bortolussi. “Ballet Kelowna has been my home – offering comfort, challenge, and an immense sense of pride. I'm deeply honoured to be featured in each piece on the Ode program and I can't wait to share the stage with the talented dancers I'm fortunate to call both colleagues and dear friends.”

Ode will open with Orlando's evocative Cuatro Estaciones, which returns to the Kelowna Community Theatre for the first time since February 2022. Starring Bortolussi in a role she originated with Orlando, the work features stunning group formations and seductive duets. Cuatro Estaciones is set to inventive composer Astor Piazzolla's Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, brilliantly layered with Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, and is infused with elements of the Argentine tango.

The program will continue with Bolero from Guillaume Côté, celebrated principal dancer and choreographic associate with The National Ballet of Canada. A perennial audience favourite, Bolero returns to the stage for the first time since November 2022. Bortolussi will be making her Kelowna debut in this work, having only performed the demanding lead role on tour. Bolero features four male dancers, hypnotized by one female role. A physically demanding piece set to Maurice Ravel's famous composition of the same name, Bolero begins with slow, hypnotic movements that build to a crescendo of breathtaking lifts.

Concluding the evening is the Canadian premiere of The Reassuring Effects (of Form and Poetry), first created for The Washington Ballet by American choreographer Trey McIntyre. Set to Anonín Dvořák's Serenade for Strings in E Minor, McIntyre's choreography is a “dizzying blend of classical and colloquial movement that moves with the speed and clarity of light” (Miami Herald).

McIntyre trained at the Houston Ballet Academy, and was appointed choreographic apprentice for the company in 1989, and promoted to choreographic associate in 1995. Over the course of a 30-plus-year freelance career, McIntyre has produced more than 100 dance works. He has received numerous accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Arts and Letters and the Bay Area's Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography for his work Your Work Shall be a Great Poem for San Francisco Ballet, in 2019.

Tickets and information at balletkelowna.ca

About Ballet Kelowna (balletkelowna.ca)

Founded in 2002, Ballet Kelowna is the sole professional dance company in B.C.'s Interior. The organization is committed to its role as a leader in the region through encouraging, promoting, and developing Canadian dancers and choreographers. The Company performs annually for more than 12,000 audience members in Kelowna and on tour, and provides unique dance training opportunities and outreach programs. Its Artistic Director and CEO, Simone Orlando, is an award-winning choreographer and former dancer with Ballet BC and The National Ballet of Canada. Under Orlando's direction, Ballet Kelowna was named the 2024 Artistic Company of the Year by the BC Live Performance Network (formerly the British Columbia Touring Council) and was an organizational recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Arts and Music Award in 2022.

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