The Chambersburg Ballet presents the classic tale “The Little Mermaid” in Lavinia Reid’s innovative ballet adaptation of the beloved under-the-sea tale.
The production marries the whimsical Disney film version to the 1837 Hans Christian Andersen original fairy tale, which ends with the Little Mermaid desperately throwing herself into the sea after the prince she’s in love with marries the princess.
Reid’s rendition, however, ends with the prince marrying the Little Mermaid.
Over forty dancers ranging from 4-year-olds to professionals will take The Capitol Theatre stage in handmade costumes colored with blacklight pigments to create a glow-in-the-dark experience in the dimly lighted theater.
This allows for interesting special effects including a luminescent underwater garden and fireworks.
The Chambersburg Ballet Theatre debuts its budding young 4- and 5-year-old dancers as starfish who will perform alongside dancers from the CBT company as well as professional dancers Maria Alvarez, Patrick Ward and Xavier Núñez.
The ballet features Reid’s original choreography, costumes, sets and music.
The Chambersburg Ballet presents its second annual Dance-a-thon, which will be held at Wilson College’s Laird Hall.
Students and company dancers will perform 14 pieces ranging from classical to modern styles, featuring solos, ensembles and pas de deuxes.
Each piece has been choreographed by students of the Chambersburg Ballet Theatre (CBT) School or by trainees or dancers of its affiliated performing company, The Chambersburg Ballet.
Friends, family and the public are invited to drop-in or stay for the entire event to see these young dancers express their creativity and energy through dance.
Dance-a-thon is open and free to the public.
Dance-a-thon is a fundraiser for the Chambersburg Ballet Guild, a 501-c 3 non profit that supports the Chambersburg Ballet.
Students will be raising funds online using an online platform called givebutter.
It’s the 20th Anniversary Year for the Chambersburg Ballet Theatre (CBT) School, located in Chambersburg’s historic Capitol Theatre, and its regional performing company, The Chambersburg Ballet. As the School has grown and developed over the past two decades, this will be the first time in its history that the Chambersburg Ballet is able to produce its annual Nutcracker performances completely with dancers trained at the CBT School. This includes all leading male roles, as well as the difficult and challenging role of the Sugarplum Fairy. These roles traditionally have cost several thousand dollars or more for a single performance run. To have a completely “homegrown” cast is a landmark achievement for any regional ballet company, especially in a small city such as Chambersburg. The role of the Nutcracker Prince will be performed by Cole Nissely, who is also a pre-med student at Shippensburg University, and the role of the Snow King by Andre McFarlane, an art student at Hagerstown Community College. Chambersburg Ballet Resident Artist Marina Addlesberger will portray the Sugarplum Fairy. CBT School and Chambersburg Ballet Founder and Artistic Director Lavinia Reid is the production’s
choreographer.
The twenty-two member company was chosen by audition in September, and almost immediately began preparations for The Nutcracker, which will be the first of three performance runs during ts 2018-19 Performance Season.
The Chambersburg Ballet’s Nutcracker performances this year will take place on Saturday, December 15th at 7:00 p.m., with a Sunday, December 16th Matinee at 3:00 p.m. . Performances will take place on the main stage of the historic Capitol Theatre, 159 South Main St., Chambersburg. Performances will honor the memory of Lillian Miller, a long-time supporter of the company who spent long hours sitting and sewing costumes in the Ballet’s waiting area. Lillian was like a grandmother to the young dancers, and a friend to all. It will be a fitting tribute to this selfless volunteer for the Chambersburg Ballet, in their first year with all “homegrown” performers, to honor someone who so selflessly gave of herself to help the CBT School and Chambersburg Ballet grow and flourish. Tickets for the Chamberburg’s Nutcracker are available at the Capitol Theatre Box office, (717)263-0202, or online at: www.thecapitoltheatre.org . For more information about the Chambersburg Ballet, visit: www.chambersburgballet.org or on Facebook.
