We all knew, evident in the sculpted muscles and porcelain frames of the dancers, that ballet is a strenuous art form. But who would have guessed that the usually mellow cooings of Canada’s well loved pop and country singer-songwriter k.d. lang would motivate the rancour and endurance demanded in Alberta Ballet’s final show of the 2012-2013 season?

In the theme of odes to musical genius, Alberta Ballet’s Artistic Director Jean Grand-Maître delivers another intimate, high-energy collaboration of unique choreography, design and music.

"For this show, it’s more about portraying your character and yourself – it’s not about the perfection of every step... which as ballet dancers we’re always seeking," says ensemble dancer Mark Wax. "A lot of the choreography, especially the.... barn dance... it’s more about having fun and working on our charisma; learning how to be charismatic on stage and really have a good time for the audience."

Balletlujah is a contemporary ballet set in the Alberta prairies, every bit as lively and feisty as the artist whose music the movement is set to.

"There is one song called Turn me Around which is more country and high spirited and high tempo, where we do this insane dance to it – it’s a miracle that we don’t smack into each other," Wax says, adding that while collisions did occur in rehearsal they have been polished out in time for audiences.

Balletlujah opened in Edmonton on May 3rd and comes to Calgary May 8th to 11th. Wax says the company’s first show went fantastic, with a special boost back stage from k.d. lang herself.

"I’ve always had a respect for her; I wasn’t familiar with the music that we’ve been using so I’ve gotten to become a fan through this process, and also a fan through her level of encouragement and her personal visits at runs throughout," Wax says. lang advised the cast to let loose and enjoy their premier performance.

"She seemed extremely happy," he says. "She appreciates what we’ve been doing."

And what they’ve been doing has been nothing short of vigorous hard work. Five days a week the Alberta Ballet dancers attend a 1.5 hour ballet class followed by a six hour rehearsal. In their off time the performers cross train to compliment their dance finesse.

For Wax this means an active blend of yoga, weight lifting, cycling, and long distance running.

"I just incorporate those depending on my work load," he says. "If I’m rehearsing a lot doing a lot of stamina ...I focus on weight lifting; if I’m doing more small pieces I focus on the stamina."

This show called for an impressive amount of corporal fortitude, meaning not a lot of time or physical energy was left over for cross training.

"It’s a very specific stamina that we have been cultivating," Wax explains.

The dancer says that up until one week before opening curtain call, how the whole show was going to come together was still a mystery.

"All of a sudden we’re coming close to being on stage and we do a full run through and we say oh my gosh how are we going to make this a full performance and not just a cardio work out?" he recalls. "How do we convey the artistry [of the movement]?"

The solution was poignant and perfectly simple. The dancers triumphed through encouragement; the encouragement they donated to one another and what they were offered by the piece’s eclectic muse.

Wax has been dancing with the Alberta Ballet for three seasons. At a towering 6’4" one might say he is the dancer that sticks out the most.

"I’m the tallest one [in the cast] so I’m easy to catch," he says.

Alberta’s ballet enthusiasts might recall the lithe dancer from his portrayal of the lead drag queen in the Elton John inspired ballet Love Lies Bleeding.

Wax began his dancing career in a small town in Montana of only 800 people.

"As a student I researched companies and listened to what other people had to say or [looked] where other people got jobs," he says. "And then when I left with Boston Ballet, which was the first company I danced with [professionally] I auditioned in New York [for Alberta Ballet] and that’s where I got the job."

Wax says his time at Alberta Ballet has afforded him some wonderful opportunities.

"Some ones that stick out are dancing in [Belanchine’s] The Fourth Temperaments," he says. "That was a big role for me."

In Balletlujah, Wax is dancing a staggering eight songs in total. Where one might notice him the most is in a finishing number, in which he dances in a group of three crows alongside the title character.

He says the shows in Edmonton have given him the confidence to bring a little bit more to each successive performance, adding that he is grateful Balletlujah will wrap the season.

"[This] is perfect timing because we really all need a break," he says.

Wax will be spending his break visiting family throughout the States and taking a romantic trip to Cape Cod with his steadfast boyfriend, to whom he is very thankful for the support and love he has received over the last year and a half of dancing.

The cast of Alberta Ballet will start rehearsing again in July.