Ballet British Columbia has just announced a bold new season that includes seven world premieres—some by hot international and national names—as well as a new Nutcracker by Alberta Ballet and a season closer that celebrates local choreographers. Alongside a wildly diverse array of styles, live music makes an until-now rare appearance in at least two shows.

The first full, five-show season by new artistic director Emily Molnar signifies her desire to bring in diverse artists to create new works for the company.

“I feel strongly about giving our audience a taste of different choreographers”¦to say, ”˜This is what’s out there in the world,’ ” Molnar, who took over the company after a financial crisis and the departure of John Alleyne, told the Straight in a recent interview. “Obviously, we have financial constraints, but that shouldn’t hamper our ability to create good work.”

The season kicks off in late fall (November 18 to 20) at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, with Molnar’s own Songs of a Wayfarer, the piece she just debuted at Alberta Ballet last month, set to the operatic music of Gustav Mahler’s first song cycle. It’s her only work on the 2010-11 roster. Wayfarer joins an evening with two other pieces. The first is a world premiere by the celebrated Venezuelan-born, Montreal-based José Navas, of Compagnie Flak; he’ll be setting it to a collaboration by Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar. The second is a Vancouver premiere by Ballett Mannheim director Kevin O’Day, whose company Molnar has worked with.

The next production is a presentation of Alberta Ballet’s new Nutcracker, with live music provided by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. The $1.5-million show, which runs December 29 to January 1, is choreographed by Edmund Stripe, with lush, Imperial Russian sets by Emmy-winning designer Zack Brown.

From February 17 to 19, a mixed program features the Vancouver premiere of 1st Flash, a recent work by Finnish sensation Jorma Elo, created for Netherlands Dance Theatre and set to the music of Jean Sibelius. Also on the program are two world premieres created for the company: one by Shawn Hounsell, who has created pieces for the likes of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal; and another by Medhi Walerski, an alumnus of the Paris Opera Ballet and a rising Euro star who choreographs and dances with Netherlands Dance Theatre.

On March 18 and 19, Ballet B.C. presents the hit African-American company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

And the season wraps up April 14 to 16, 2011, with a program that celebrates Ballet B.C.’s 25th anniversary with four new works. Vancouver’s Wen Wei Wang, Donald Sales, and Serge Bennathan will all create pieces, as will Montreal’s Gioconda Barbuto. What sets the show apart is the fact it’s a collaboration with the Turning Point Ensemble, which will play the music live, amid lighting and sets created by James Proudfoot.

Meanwhile, Ballet B.C. performs tonight through Saturday (April 15 to 17) at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in a mixed program called Re/Naissance, its first show since a hiatus that started before Christmas.