This fall, Dance Victoria is amping up the festivities for IGNITE!, our fourth annual season launch party. Not only will we gather at a gorgeous new venue, KWENCH, the evening will also feature an exquisite duet, Meteorite, performed by Ballet Edmonton dancers Paula Cobo Botello and Ben Waters. Dance Victoria audiences last experienced the talented company as part of our Music in Motion co-presentation with the Victoria Symphony in 2023.
Choreographed by Ballet Edmonton’s new Artistic Director, Kirsten Wicklund, Meteorite exemplifies a distinctive choreographic voice: one that combines classical ballet technique with a spirit of experimentation and improvisation. “While rooted in a sensory approach to classical ballet,” Wicklund shares, “I embrace the definition of form, directionality, conversational timings, and physical dynamics.” Through this framework, Meteorite explores “the poetry of sheer energy and encounters with friction and pressure,” heightening both a sense of risk and thrill of virtuosity. The work invites each dancer to channel intensity with precision and specificity. Meteorite is an inquiry into fearlessness.
Wicklund will be a familiar face to Dance Victoria audiences. She is a previous Residency Artist (2021/22), and Ballet Edmonton was awarded the prestigious Chrystal Dance Prize–Projects in 2024. A former dancer with Ballet BC, Wicklund has performed works by leading choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, and William Forsythe. Her choreography has been commissioned by companies worldwide, including the Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company, Ballet Edmonton, and Ballet BC.
In Meteorite, both dancers bring impressive virtuosity and finesse to the work. Cobo Botello, originally from Mexico, trained at the Victoria Academy of Ballet—DV Studios’ Quadra Village neighbour—before joining Ballet Edmonton in 2019 under the artistic direction of Wen Wei Wang. As a dancer, she reveals a deep curiosity about how movement and emotion intersect. Waters, from Vancouver, BC, began as a tap dancer and later trained at Arts Umbrella under Artemis Gordon. A musician, composer, and accomplished dancer, he joined Ballet Edmonton in 2023. Waters has composed music for Ballet BC, as well as Belle Spirale Dance Projects’ UNIVERSUS, which Dance Victoria will present on January 16 at the McPherson Playhouse.
IGNITE!—a party you don’t want to miss
Join us on October 25 at KWENCH, where you will enjoy an evening of dance, music, food, and drinks in the best company of all—fellow dance lovers! IGNITE! guests will enjoy tastings and cocktails by Phillips Brewing, featuring their small-batch spirits; savoury bites by Little Piggy Catering, Ottavio’s, and The Whole Beast; sweet bites by Chocolat & Co.; music by DJ LoFi; and the chance to bid on wide-ranging auction prizes in support of Dance Victoria’s Artist & Community Engagement programs.
Tickets* are $99, with a limited number of $49 tickets for guests ages 19–29. Get yours!
*Price includes a complimentary drink, food, and entertainment
Thank you to IGNITE! Co-Chairs Castle Consulting and PBX Engineering Ltd., Media Sponsor YAM magazine, Venue Sponsor KWENCH, and Event Partners Phillips Brewing, Pedersen’s Rentals, and Chocolat & Co.
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