Spring Performance

     The Ballet Theatre of Dover’s  annual Spring Performance, “Classics & More 2006” will be held on Saturday, May 20, at 7:00 pm and Sunday, May 21, 2 pm at the In–Studio Theatre at Tudor Industrial Park, off S Little Creek Rd.

     The performance will  feature a wide spectrum of pieces from classical ballet to contemporary dance. Dances from “Sleeping Beauty” will feature the Garland Dance and the Fairies of Act I. Each fairy’s variation reflect the gift that is bestowed to the Princess Aurora at her christening– the gifts of beauty, song, dance and wit. The Lilac Fairy bestows the most important gift of all– she reverses the spell of the evil fairy, Carabosse, who predicted Aurora’s death by pricking her finger on a spindle. The Lilac Fairy changes the spell to indefinite sleep until one day, true love awakens the Princess and the rest of the kingdom and conquers evil.  

     Another classical offering is the Pas De Trois from “Swan Lake”, a virtuosic display of classical dance– with entrada, variations and coda, from Act I of the ballet. “Caprice”, a ballet to the difficult music of Stravinsky will usher in the neo–classical age of ballet, with faster footwork, complex patterns and playful artistry.

     Contemporary dance will be represented by “Fragments” a new piece choreographed by Teresa Emmons, the artistic director and resident choreographer, that fuses ballet and modern dance techniques. Michael Torke’s music represents a more atonal approach, rhythmic syncopation, and overlapping musical phrasing. Dave Brubeck’s “Take 5” will be given a jazzy interpretation by choreographer Carla Fillman who has taken the essence of the music and created a lighthearted youthful frolic through some of the most beloved jazz melodies of our time. Ending the performance is last summer’s hit “Slaughter On 10th Avenue”, from the Broadway musical ON YOUR TOES....a Musical Theatre treat for everyone, a dizzying journey into slapstick intrigue.

     Teresa Emmons acknowledges the challenges of a mixed repertory– ”Dancers have to switch technique and style from the ‘high’ classics of Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake to the demands of neo–classical, contemporary and jazz choreography. At the pre-professional level, we train the dancers to be sensitive to the technical and stylistic nuances that are unique to each piece they perform and which are clearly reflected in the choreography”.

     Joining the performance is alumni Randall Crame, who recently graduated from Mercyhurst College, with a concentration in Dance. He has danced with the Lake Erie Ballet Company in Pennsylvania and has taught classes in the area.

     Tickets for the show are $ 12.00 for Adults (Reserved Seating), $ 10.00 Adults (Open Seating), and $ 8.00 for Children 10 and below, Students & Seniors.

     Tickets are available at the door and at Dance Conservatory at 302–734–9717 or email at pasdance@aol.com.