Charlottesville Ballet co-director Emily Mott knew she wanted to do a children’s ballet.
She just wasn’t sure they could swing something with a big budget.
So she used her imagination and, because the costumes would be easier to get her hands on, came up with a story that “draws all the different fairy tales together.”
Says Mott: “All of your roadblocks actually make you more creative.”
They premiered the show in Charlottesville last year to sold-out crowds and are bringing it to Lynchburg Saturday for three more performances (see box), plus a “Fairy Tale Tea Party,” where kids can meet the characters and make crafts, following each performance.
Keith Lee, director and founder of Dance Theatre, is also the associate director for Charlottesville Ballet, and their professional dancers come to Lynchburg once a week to rehearse with him.
In Mott’s original production, the Fairy Godmother has a tea party and invites all your favorite fairy tale characters. Think Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, the Sugar Plum Fairy from “The Nutcracker” and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, with the dwarfs played by Dance Theatre of Lynchburg kids.
The 45-minute show is also interactive and has a character that comes out to teach children some basic ballet steps.
“We don’t just let kids sit in their seats the whole time,” Mott says, adding that it’s a great outreach for those who might be interested in dance.
“I know when I was growing up, I had some amazing opportunities. It’s a big part of cultivating the love of ballet.”
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