The 15 members of Ballet British Columbia furl and unfurl themselves in geometrical patterns that disappear as quickly as they take shape. As they rehearse at the Scotiabank Dance Centre in a sun-splashed studio, solos morph into trios that become quintets to mesmerizing effect. And the soundtrack to their steps could not be more apt: Passages, by contemporary American composer Philip Glass and Indian sitar master Ravi Shankar, proves what striking results can arise when innovation and tradition meet. What makes the music so fitting is that the same combination of experimentation and the classical plays out in the new piece the dancers are working on.

The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes—which has its world premiere at the Ballet B.C. season opener at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre tonight through Saturday (November 18 to 20)—is by choreographer José Navas. The Montreal-based artist who made a name for himself with his audacious modern dance is now turning to the classical technique upon which Ballet B.C. is based. Even Navas himself has been surprised by what he’s discovered by bringing together such disparate worlds.

“Working en pointe has been so much fun,” Navas says on the line from his Montreal home before adding with a laugh: “I never thought I’d say that.

“I’m so focused on, so fascinated with structure and formalism, he continues. “Modern dance is known for its freedom of form and footwork. So you’d never think that pointe would have as much possibility. In fact pointe has more possibility: there’s the way the toes are used and the axis of the leg”¦ There are different possibilities—arabesques—plus I have 15 beautiful, classically trained dancers at my disposal. In the modern-dance world, that’s extremely rare.”

The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes is significant not only because it’s a turning point in Navas’s choreographic career. It also marks his debut as choreographer in residence with Ballet B.C. The new position signals a new stability for the local company, which was on the brink of financial collapse two seasons ago.

During his term, Navas will put his unique spin on the full-length classic Giselle in addition to choreographing another work for the 24-year-old troupe.

Ballet B.C. executive director Jay Rankin explains that the residency—a three-year term—is a testament to the company’s staying power.

“It’s important for Ballet British Columbia to hold onto as much certainty as possible,” Rankin says in a phone interview, explaining that signing someone of Navas’s stature for three years should help give Vancouver dance fans renewed confidence in the company. “It feels right for us to be able to form a connection that’s so clearly in sync with our artistic direction.

“It’s mutually exciting,” he adds. “Navas is at the top of his game. I like his work and I want to see it, and it’s exciting for our audiences. I like the way he works with our dancers. There’s an intelligent rigour to the whole process.”

Navas, who was born and began dancing in Caracas, Venezuela, went to New York at a young age to study at the Merce Cunningham Studio. He later moved to Montreal, where he started his own troupe, Compagnie Flak, in 1995. He thrilled audiences and critics alike with distinctly stylish solos and small-ensemble works that were characterized by a fine balance between elegance and eroticism. In 1999 he was named best young foreign choreographer by the European dance magazine Ballet Tanz.

Molnar compares this stage in Navas’s career to that of Edouard Lock, the artistic director of La La La Human Steps who used pointe work in new and unexpected ways. But where Lock also incorporated multimedia effects, Navas strips things down, using minimalist sets and costumes so that the focus is strictly on the movement. Think men and women dancing in nothing but white briefs on an empty stage, as in 2006’s Anatomies.

Ballet B.C. artistic director Emily Molnar describes Navas as a “true” choreographer.

“He takes it very seriously—the sense of construction, architecture—but he also has his eye on the theatrical element,” Molnar says in an interview at her office. “So it’s more than stringing together brilliant steps. He’s not pulling out any gimmicks. There’s pure energy that comes from such virtuosity en masse. He always displays integrity of movement. And he’s very passionate.”

The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes shares a bill with Molnar’s Songs of a Wayfarer, a joyful new work for 10 dancers set to music by Gustav Mahler, and Ballet Mannheim’s Kevin O’Day’s playful ensemble piece Face to Face.

Navas says that although he’s made a technically demanding dance, he hopes the movement will convey the essence of the music that inspired him.

“You have Glass, with his organized, mathematical repetition combined with the flavour of Shankar; there’s something very human, very warm in his music,” Navas says. “They are both such fantastic composers, and when you put them together the results are extraordinary.

“The dance celebrates the intelligence of the human body, but it’s also a celebration of the sense of spirit, how our spirits can lift up,” he adds. “I think about how we can say something as pertinent as what’s on the Internet, in the theatre, in words. How, in half a second, can we touch people’s hearts? It’s possible to do that, and bit by bit, possibly we can change the world.”