Dancers, actors and acrobats fly across the stage in perfect unison, creating a mystifying blend of performance art and athletics.

The Okanagan Rhythmic Gymnastics (ORG) Club and Cirque Theatre Company is bringing its rendition of Pinocchio to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre stage Nov. 24-25.

With roots in the classic Italian yarn, the club brings together talented actors and current rhythmic gymnastics Team Canada stars to create the captivating performance experience.

害羞草研究所淥ne thing I really found from coming from a high performance background is kids feel, 害羞草研究所極h, I did sports, I can害羞草研究所檛 do that,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said the show害羞草研究所檚 producer, director, choreographer and ORG head coach who competed in the 害羞草研究所�96 Olympics in Atlanta. 害羞草研究所淚 think the lines are way blurrier than we think.害羞草研究所�

And it害羞草研究所檚 an arts and athletics marriage that has sparked success for Martens and ORG, who have put on their yearly performance since 2000, consecutively filling more than 3,000 seats since their 2010 performance of Wonka.

This year is no exception, with the performance害羞草研究所檚 three special school-only shows filling up on the first day.

害羞草研究所淲e had to say no to a whole school,害羞草研究所� Martens said. 害羞草研究所淚t used to be like, I wonder if anyone will come.害羞草研究所�

But these shows, which bring buses of students from across the area to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre, aren害羞草研究所檛 about the profits.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 really make money on the school shows, it害羞草研究所檚 more about community outreach,害羞草研究所� Martens said, adding that she hopes the shows inspire kids to pursue athletics and/or the arts and show that there害羞草研究所檚 always more than one way to do things.

害羞草研究所淕rowing up in a family where we weren害羞草研究所檛 told a lot of that, we definitely had more of a sense of let害羞草研究所檚 make our own way of doing it,害羞草研究所� the Vernon product said. 害羞草研究所淟et害羞草研究所檚 do something else. Let害羞草研究所檚 do our own thing.害羞草研究所�

Following Martens害羞草研究所� mantra of carving a new path, the cast of roughly 70 people ranging in age from five to 70 perused the story害羞草研究所檚 multiple versions to craft an ORG-specific screenplay.

害羞草研究所淲e thought at the end of it all, what害羞草研究所檚 the story we want to tell?害羞草研究所� Martens said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the whole fun of it. We get to look at the way it害羞草研究所檚 been done.害羞草研究所�

Drawing inspiration from multiple versions of the family-favourite tale, ORG害羞草研究所檚 Pinocchio features Madeline Sellars as the title character, Ben McLean as Grillo the Cricket 害羞草研究所� better known as Jiminy Cricket from Disney害羞草研究所檚 take 害羞草研究所� Gabriel Newman as Geppetto, Emmalee Holland as the Blue Fairy and Yann Brierley as Stromboli. The show also features renowned Vernon talents Brie-Anne MacPherson, , and Tammy Andreotti.

It害羞草研究所檚 a show that had been suggested in the past, but Martens said it never felt right, until now.

害羞草研究所淲e had Pinocchio suggested a few times, but I shied away from it because I found it scary as a kid,害羞草研究所� Martens said. 害羞草研究所淲hat draws us to it (now) is the whole concept of strings and looking at what does it mean to be real and in what ways do we avoid being real? For us, the metaphor of the strings are a symbol of numbing.害羞草研究所�

Martens asked the kids what they fear the most, and the resounding answer was being embarrassed. Unlike some adults who use drugs and alcohol to escape their problems, Martens said, kids often turn to TV or their devices. Pinocchio is about being true to oneself and breaking down those barriers.

害羞草研究所淟ooking at Pinocchio and his challenges to be honest, brave and generous and watching him go through a whole series of events is sort of joyous,害羞草研究所� Martens said.

害羞草研究所淲e all want to be real and sign up for the full human experience,害羞草研究所� Martens said. 害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 what brought us to this story.害羞草研究所�

ORG害羞草研究所檚 Pinocchio takes the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 25 at 2:30 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $38.25 adult, $25.25 seniors and students, $18.25 child 12-and-under or $80 for a family of four (two adult and two youth passes, not available online) available through the Ticket Seller, 250-549-7469, .