And now some good financial news from the arts sector: Ballet British Columbia has announced a modest surplus for its 2010-11 season.

It's another positive step for a company that is slowly rebuilding after a financial crisis at the end of 2008.

The economy has recently been blamed for taking a harsh toll on the city's other major arts groups, like the Vancouver Playhouse, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and even the traditionally stable Vancouver Opera.

In a press statement, the ballet's executive director Jay Rankin referred to the troupe's bold new contemporary programming and his “gratitude to our audiences and donors who have shown wide support for the new direction the company is taking under Artistic Director Emily Molnar’s leadership. Audiences in Vancouver are eagerly anticipating the promise of further exciting new work from the rising choreographic stars showcased in the upcoming 2011/2012 season.”