The Hillties: recipients of The Kootenay Music Awards “Best Jam Band/Artist” (2019) and “Best Reggae Song” (2018) are a six piece band (chapman stick, ukulele, guitar, piano, drums and three part harmonies) based out of Nelson BC. Using this unique instrumentation we blend ska/reggae and funk into original music to keep the dance floor bumping all night.

The band’s miscellaneous influences include Ska bands such as; Sublime, Slightly Stoopid. Reggae bands such as; Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff. Jazz bands such as; Dave Brubeck, John Scofeild. Folk bands such as; James Taylor, Neil Young. Rock bands such as: Pearl Jam, Cage The Elephant. Hip Hop bands such as; EPMD, Slick Rick. The band also draws inspiration from many forms of visual art, surrounding landscapes, performance art, theatre and many other unsuspecting areas of life.

Shakespeare’s tale of love, anguish and revenge is masterfully transformed into Bengt Jörgen’s magical world of ballet. While remaining true to the original story, Jörgen focuses on creating a clear and emotionally driven
journey into this timeless classic. Romeo & Juliet has sparked the imagination of many an artist, and inspired Bengt Jörgen to create works of intimacy and warmth.

Canada’s Ballet Jorgen’s Romeo & Juliet premiered in 1997 and has toured around the world to critical acclaim. To ensure the ballet remains as beautiful and vibrant as is was over 20 years ago, it is receiving signicant
updates for the 2020-2021 North American Tour with new sets and costumes.

Look for the Silver Lining, features the stylish vocals of award winning and Nelson local, Rachel DeShon and pianist extraordinaire Konrad Pluta in a new collaboration. It pulls music from the Great American Songbook, songs of the 20s, 30s and 40s, with innovative arrangements and vocal lines and travels from jazz to opera, Bach and back. Look for the Silver Lining was developed in part by the LAUNCH series at The Studios and produced by The Royal Room in Seattle, Washington.

“We are traceable to the very beginnings of the universe, our ancestral origins stretching across the Milky Way to the atoms burning inside of us in the ‘here and now’ on earth. Trace is highly kinetic contemporary dance-work inspired by Indigenous (Anishinaabe) sky and star stories, offering a glimpse into our origin as well as our future evolution.”

Winner of two Dora Mavor Moore awards and nominated for four Dora Awards.