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.

91裸聊视频淥ne thing I really found from coming from a high performance background is kids feel, 91裸聊视频極h, I did sports, I can91裸聊视频檛 do that,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� said the show91裸聊视频檚 producer, director, choreographer and ORG head coach who competed in the 91裸聊视频�96 Olympics in Atlanta. 91裸聊视频淚 think the lines are way blurrier than we think.91裸聊视频�

And it91裸聊视频檚 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 performance91裸聊视频檚 three special school-only shows filling up on the first day.

91裸聊视频淲e had to say no to a whole school,91裸聊视频� Martens said. 91裸聊视频淚t used to be like, I wonder if anyone will come.91裸聊视频�

But these shows, which bring buses of students from across the area to the Vernon and District Performing Arts Centre, aren91裸聊视频檛 about the profits.

91裸聊视频淲e don91裸聊视频檛 really make money on the school shows, it91裸聊视频檚 more about community outreach,91裸聊视频� Martens said, adding that she hopes the shows inspire kids to pursue athletics and/or the arts and show that there91裸聊视频檚 always more than one way to do things.

91裸聊视频淕rowing up in a family where we weren91裸聊视频檛 told a lot of that, we definitely had more of a sense of let91裸聊视频檚 make our own way of doing it,91裸聊视频� the Vernon product said. 91裸聊视频淟et91裸聊视频檚 do something else. Let91裸聊视频檚 do our own thing.91裸聊视频�

Following Martens91裸聊视频� mantra of carving a new path, the cast of roughly 70 people ranging in age from five to 70 perused the story91裸聊视频檚 multiple versions to craft an ORG-specific screenplay.

91裸聊视频淲e thought at the end of it all, what91裸聊视频檚 the story we want to tell?91裸聊视频� Martens said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 the whole fun of it. We get to look at the way it91裸聊视频檚 been done.91裸聊视频�

Drawing inspiration from multiple versions of the family-favourite tale, ORG91裸聊视频檚 Pinocchio features Madeline Sellars as the title character, Ben McLean as Grillo the Cricket 91裸聊视频� better known as Jiminy Cricket from Disney91裸聊视频檚 take 91裸聊视频� 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.

It91裸聊视频檚 a show that had been suggested in the past, but Martens said it never felt right, until now.

91裸聊视频淲e had Pinocchio suggested a few times, but I shied away from it because I found it scary as a kid,91裸聊视频� Martens said. 91裸聊视频淲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.91裸聊视频�

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.

91裸聊视频淟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,91裸聊视频� Martens said.

91裸聊视频淲e all want to be real and sign up for the full human experience,91裸聊视频� Martens said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what brought us to this story.91裸聊视频�

ORG91裸聊视频檚 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, .