In the glittering, comedic world of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, this all-male drag ballet troupe has spent the past five decades pirouetting past gender norms and leaping gracefully into the hearts of audiences worldwide.

The "Trocks," as they are affectionately known, will take the stage twice in Victoria and once in Nanaimo as part of their 50th anniversary tour, bringing their signature blend of classical ballet, high camp and athleticism B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ and proving that pointe shoes and parody truly are a match made in tutu heaven.

"It's a fun show," says Tory Dobrin, the Trocks' artistic director and a former dancer in the troupe. "It's a comedy show using dance, which is unusual."

Although the ballet is dedicated to comedy, it was born in an era of protest, emerging in the wake of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ days of demonstrations involving thousands of people in response to a police raid on a gay bar in New York's Greenwich Village. The uprising became a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the fight for acceptance and equality.

The New York-based Trocks emerged in 1974 as a celebration of gay identity, challenging the rigid boundaries of classical ballet while offering a comedic platform for inclusivity and self-expression.

The dancers perform across a full range of styles with a technical mastery that rivals the worldB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s most prestigious ballet companies. From their signature performance of Swan Lake Act II to their reinterpretations of modern works, the Trocks demonstrate an attention to detail and physical prowess that has earned them accolades and opportunities to perform on some of the worldB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s most esteemed stages B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ including Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre.

Over the years, the Trocks have garnered numerous awards and their blend of skill and humour has also made them a beloved feature in arts documentaries like Rebels on Pointe and Ballerina Boys, and theyB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™ve graced television shows ranging from The South Bank Show to The Muppet Babies.

"The show is really, really, really popular," Dobrin says. "People say, 'Oh, the Trocadero is in town. It sounds like a lot of fun. Why don't we go?' But if they're not familiar with the company, they don't realize that there's some really, really, really top-notch dancing going on. So they show up expecting to enjoy themselves, and then they get wowed by the dancing."

The show, Dobrin says, is designed to appeal to a broad audience B´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·“ from children and those who arenB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™t normally ballet-goers to die-hard dance enthusiasts who can appreciate both the technical skill and the humour woven into each performance.

"Of course, we attract the gay and lesbian community and the dance community and the comedy community. So thereB´ÎÔª¹ÙÍøÍøÖ·™s a lot of nets that we have over different segments of society, and that also makes the performance kind of fun, because you look around and see a lot of different types of people."

The Trocks' anniversary tour begins in New York City and makes its way across North America and France. On Vancouver Island, they are set to perform at the Royal Theatre in Victoria on Feb. 7 and 8, and at The Port Theatre in Nanaimo on Feb. 5.