Tla'amin Nation member and artist-in-residence/choreographer with Canada’s Ballet Kelowna Cameron Fraser-Monroe wants to bring Ballet Kelowna - taqəš and Other Works to the qathet region in September.
However, travelling ballet productions can be costly, which is why Fraser-Monroe and his aunts Betty Wilson and Grace Adams organized a wine and cheese fundraiser at Max Cameron Theatre on June 25. Although the night had to contend with the Stanley Cup hockey playoffs, the fundraiser was an overall success, raising more than $6,000 toward keeping the cost of tickets down.
"It was really important to understand that [the fundraiser] wasn't for Ballet Kelowna," said Fraser-Monroe. "It was to help with accessibility and I'm really proud of that."
Although Fraser-Monroe grew up in the Okanagan, he has strong ties to Tla'amin.
"I grew up in Vernon with my mom; my dad lives in Lund and I have visited [qathet] every summer since I was a kid, so I'm definitely connected back to that community," said Fraser-Monroe. "My whole family lives there, all my aunties and cousins."
Fraser-Monroe has performed with many companies, including Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, but now he has pivoted from being a dancer to being the choreographer. In 2022 he became the first artist-in-residence at Ballet Kelowna.
"I'll be bringing taqəš (tawKESH) which means, to return to something in ayajuthem, the language belonging to the Homalco, Klahoose, K’omoks and Tla’amin nations," said Fraser-Monroe. "The show will also feature my work called The Cowboy Act."
Fraser-Monroe said he uses comedy in the performances to examine the Indian Act’s effect on First Nations people.
"It's a very fun way of looking at something that's very dark in Canada's history," said Fraser-Monroe.
At a young age, Fraser-Monroe was taking classes with the Zirka Ukrainian Dancers in Vernon, and then went on to practice grass dance and hoop dance before moving to Royal Winnipeg Ballet School for his classical training.
"Moving away at 15 [years old] was a huge sacrifice, but it means that I understand that world, and I'm able to operate within a very colonial and European institution," said Fraser-Monroe. "The exciting thing for me is to divert those resources back to Indigenous artists and Indigenous collaborators."
Fraser-Monroe said he was honoured at the fundraiser by Wilson and Adams, who gave him a Tla'amin community name at the event.
He emphasized that Ballet Kelowna is a creation-based company, meaning that it doesn’t only perform classical ballets such as Swan Lake, but its focus is on contemporary choreographers.
"The other thing I would highlight is that when you think of ballet, you may think of tutus and tiaras, but that's not what this is; it's much more of the present day, much more in the style of contemporary ballet," said Fraser-Monroe. "There are pointe shoes in one of the pieces, but otherwise, it's a really great entry point [for those who are unfamiliar with ballet].
"If you haven't ever seen ballet, it's a great show to come to; it's a triple bill, which means you're likely to find something that you enjoy.”
To find out about taqəš and Other Works, and Cameron Fraser-Monroe, go to maxcamerontheatre.ca.
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