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In Ballet Slippers
Rockbridge Ballet Presents Classic
The Rockbridge Ballet will stage four performances of its original production of “The Little Mermaid” on March 8, 9, and 10 at Virginia Military Institute’s Leslie J. Gillis Theater.
The audience will be invited to journey to a mystical kingdom under the sea as The Rockbridge Ballet brings the world-famous Hans Christian Andersen story to life. This premiere performance features stunning costumes, enchanting new choreography, and dazzling visuals where the worlds of land and sea collide, said a spokesperson.
“The Little Mermaid,” written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837, exists in many artistic forms, including theater, ballet, film, animation and television, and is celebrated in a statue in Andersen’s home city of Copenhagen, Denmark. This timeless story explores the themes of love, change, longing and sacrifice and has enchanted audiences of all ages.
ELLA SCHMIDT, ballerina
PERFORMING in “The Little Mermaid” will be (top row) Sydney Boucher, Bella Poulsen, Summer Hull, Madison Poulsen, Annalee Penny, Hannah Stephens, Emma Woody, (middle row) Ava Perdew, Lena Greer, Claire Sigler, Jylian Grace Hayes, Ella Cate Brown, Libby Pearson, Catherine Balkey, (bottom row) Stelly Crocker, Katie Ambrogi, Bethany Hickman, Ella Schmidt, Shanta Dates and Avery Woody.
LENA GREER, Flounder
CATHERINE BALKEY, the Little Mermaid “I am thrilled to present this brand-new production,” said Jessica Martin, artistic director of The Rockbridge Ballet. “As a ballet company, we strive to challenge our students by educating them on classical ballets and traditional choreography. We also love to create new performances which are tailored to the strengths of our students and are celebrated by audience members. This allows our dancers the opportunity to embrace a character, to develop as artists, and to showcase their proficiency in multiple dance genres while giving our faculty the choreographic freedom to design an original performance.
“Our dancers and staff have worked tremendously hard to prepare our show, and we are excited to share this beloved tale with our community,” said Martin.
“The Little Mermaid” production features brand new choreography created by executive and artistic director Martin, assistant director Kitty Burke, and Rockbridge Ballet faculty members Meagan Herald, Evelyn Branscome, Maeve Dick and Tom Boss.
The performance showcases the individual talents of The Rockbridge Ballet’s senior and junior company dancers, who range from 11 to 18 years of age. This new show honors The Rockbridge Ballet’s ultimate goals to discover and nurture promising young dancers of diverse backgrounds, offer performance opportunities beyond dance school recitals, and train to a preprofessional level.
Featured company dancers performing principal roles include Catherine Balkey and Sydney Boucher as the Little Mermaid; Emma Woody and Madi Poulsen as the Sea Witch; Tom Boss as the Prince; Ella Schmidt and Grace Fleshman, Lena Greer and Ava Perdew, and Ella Cate Brown and Annalee Penny as the Little Mermaid’s beloved friends; Hannah Stephens and Summer Hull as the Sea King; and Corinna Allen, Jylian Grace Hayes, Libby Pearson and Claire Sigler as the Sea Witch’s eel minions. The roles of the Sisters, Sailors, Seagulls, and Waves will be danced by members of the senior and junior companies.
The first half of the production introduces the famous and familiar characters from “The Little Mermaid.” A few notable dances include a powerful and emotional solo by Balkey and Boucher, a stunning pas de deux danced by the Little Mermaid with the Prince, guest dancer Tom Boss, and a vibrant rendition of “Under the Sea” led by Schmidt and Fleshman with members of the junior and senior companies performing as Bubbles and Stingrays.
After a brief intermission, the production continues featuring the Sea Witch, her eel minions, and members of the senior company as Undertow. A toe-tapping number danced by Brown and Penny with a corps of tapping junior company Seagulls illustrates the talent and diverse dance styles of the ballet. The finale features the entire cast onstage in a rousing conclusion.
Performances of The Rockbridge Ballet’s “The Little Mermaid” are Friday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, March 9, at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 10, at 2 p.m. at Virginia Military Institute’s Gillis Theater. Tickets can be purchased in advance at rockbridgeballet.org, Pronto, Downtown Books, and, if available, at the door; $12 for students and $15 for adults.
Performances are sponsored by CornerStone Bank, Austin Electrical, Rockbridge Area Tourism and Development, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
