By Jennifer Mustoe
Ballet West brings an amazing production of The Little Mermaid, based on the original Hans Christian Andersen‘s story, to an audience of children and adults. With easy to understand narration, we all were able to enjoy the dancing even more. One of the goals Ballet West accomplishes is giving a taste of ballet to all–giving children the opportunity to understand the plot while following the beautiful dancing the tells the story. Ballet West gives Utah a wonderful glimpse of what ballet is all about.
My little one, Lucy, almost 5, took ballet lessons for a short time and proclaimed she “knows how to do ballet.” She quickly found that skill and beautiful movement, as well as the ability to tell The Little Mermaid with no words or singing by the performers, is far more that pliés.
Last night, (Friday) was one of three performances, and the final performance on Sunday evening is in Spanish. “We wanted to present something that could be enjoyed as a special outing for families and we wanted to extend this invitation to our Spanish-speaking families as well,” explains Artistic Director Adam Sklute. The Little Mermaid is performed that luxuriously beautiful Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater, right in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. (And a tip–since parking can sometimes be difficult, park and then taking Trax at Salt Lake Central station to Gallivan Plaza station.)
Atlanta Ballet Lighting Designer Joey Walls brings haunting and delightful lighting. Choreographed by Principal Rehearsal Director Pamela Robinson-Harris, in collaboration with former company Soloist/Artistic staff member Peggy Dolkas, all members of Ballet West II, the Ballet West Academy Professional Training Division, and students of the Ballet West Academy are spectacular.
From the little goldfish who tiptoe across the stage, to strong yet vulnerable Little Mermaid, we are delighted with an undersea adventure. The under the ocean’s surface kingdom, billowing waves, ships, and wonderful palaces, surrounded by dancers waving their arms as if being tossed by the water gives The Little Mermaid a feeling of magic and wonder. And it’s short enough to keep littles engaged–an hour and fifteen minutes. Note: This is not the Disney Little Mermaid. The name “Ariel” is never said, she doesn’t have bright red hair, she doesn’t sing (this is a ballet, not a musical), the Sea Witch is not half so scary (which is a good thing), and–spoiler alert, Prince Eric marries someone else. The wedding scene was Lucy’s favorite piece and it is all that is romantic, sparkly, and best yet, completely understandable for a child who’s never seen a ballet before. The Little Mermaid ends her story as Andersen intended (as sea foam on the iconic rock–and is a statue in Denmark), but it’s performed in such a way that it shows that true love often means the ultimate sacrifice. Lucy and I left the theater with a sense of wonder, delight, and satisfaction.
One more performance of The Little Mermaid takes place tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 6, 2021 at 7:00 PM with a Spanish narration. Tickets are just $27 and are now available online at www.balletwest.org, or by calling the Ballet West ticket offices at (801) 869-6920. (Masks required.)
Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater, 50 W 200 S, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
Ballet West Facebook Page
Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theater Facebook Page
0 Comments