Peninsula Dance Theatre gets fresh this weekend

Each year, Peninsula Dance Theatre troupe hosts its Choreography Showcase, inviting regional dance troupes and esteemed performers to town to highlight new works created just for the local company.

This year the special guest choreographer is Kiyon Gaines, a dancer and choreographer with Seattle’s Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Gaines has spent the past seven years dancing with the PNB after training at the School of American Ballet in New York City. A few years into his study with the PNB, his colleagues talked him into taking a step further into choreography work.

Since joining PNB in 2001, he’s danced many leading roles, while a handful of his choreographed works have appeared at the company’s annual Choreographer’s Showcase.

On Feb. 23, he’ll premiere his newest piece “Klavis” in Bremerton.

Nicole and Jason Cisler, both experienced teachers at the Bremerton Dance Center, will debut their work “Complementing Affects” while Lara Littlefield, a homegrown gal, will present a modern piece “Ethel’s Hardwood March” and PDT director Lawan Morrison will reprise a longtime favorite — “Graduation Ball.”

Longtime Bremerton dance instructor Besty Conger has created “Sweet Felicity Suite” for the PDT’s junior company, while two of the PDT’s dancers — Samantha Garvin, 18, and Michael Johnson, 19 — will premiere their works as well.

Performances are at 8 p.m. Feb. 23 and 3 p.m. Feb. 24 at the Bremerton High School Performing Arts Center, 1500 13th St. Tickets are $17 for adults, $12 for students and seniors, $10 for kids. Info: Call (360) 377-2027.

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