Rockbridge Ballet Brings ‘Beauty And The Beast’ To VMI
The Rockbridge Ballet will stage four performances of its new production “Beauty and the Beast” on March 7, 8, and 9 at the Leslie J. Gillis Theater at Virginia Military Institute. The Rockbridge Ballet’s production tackles the age-old European folk tale in which the studious and introverted villager Belle rescues the Prince, who has been cursed by an Enchantress. The story of “Beauty and the Beast” has been told in film, theater and musical format and will now be presented in a heart-warming production through the beauty of dance.
“We are thrilled to present this premier performance to our local audience,” said Rockbridge Ballet artistic director Jessica Pyatt Martin. “It is always a challenging endeavor to tell a well-known and beloved story, and our dancers have risen to the occasion. Their commitment to their acting and performance quality is inspiring and so enjoyable to watch. The faculty are incredibly proud of our dancers’ hard work and enthusiasm, especially since the dancers were able to learn the entire show in such a short amount of time.”
Martin, along with Rockbridge Ballet faculty members Kitty Burke, Meagan Herald and Evelyn Branscome, have created original choreography for the production, which honors the story of “Beauty and the Beast” and its themes of love, self-acceptance, compassion, forgiveness, and grace.
The performance showcases the individual talents of the company’s dancers, who range from 9 to 17 years of age.
Featured company dancers performing principal roles include Grace Fleshman and Lena Greer as Belle. Both Fleshman and Greer are graduating seniors at Rockbridge County High School and both have danced with The Rockbridge Ballet since early childhood.
The production begins as the Enchantress (Reagan Coleman and Shanta Dates) curses the Prince (Gabriel Bohling), transforming him into the Beast and placing his castle under a spell.
The Rockbridge Ballet will utilize innovative background projection technology for the first time with this performance, which will allow the audience to follow the action through diverse scenes such as the small village, the Beast’s castle, and a dark, scary forest.
In the village, we first meet Belle, Gaston (Bethany Hickman and Lilly Wunder), LeFou (Atleigh Mason and Emma Stinnett), the Townspeople (Junior and Senior Company members), Maurice (Ella Cate Brown and Libby Pearson), and the Wolves (Apprentice Company).
Later, the setting shifts to the castle, with the first appearances of the memorable enchanted characters of Lumiere the candelabra (Ava Perdew and Claire Sigler), Mrs. Potts the teapot (Libby Pearson and Annalee Penny), Chip the teacup (Stelly Crocker and Avery Woody), Cogsworth the clock (Katie Ambrogi and Summer Hull), Plumette the feather duster (Ella Cate Brown and Jylian Grace Hayes), and the Enchanted Rose Petals (Apprentice Company). The first half culminates in the exciting “Be Our Guest” number featuring kick lines and impressive ensemble choreography.
After a brief intermission, the story returns to the castle, highlighting the beautiful pas de deux with Belle (Fleshman and Greer) and the Beast (Bohling). The Beast expresses his heartbreak accompanied by dancing Rose Petals (Apprentice Company) and Belle performs an emotional solo. The show culminates with the entire cast during the climactic Battle scene featuring Gaston and the Beast, and then concludes as the Beast is transformed back into the Prince.
“Beauty and the Beast” will be performed on Friday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, March 8, at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased in advance at rockbridgeballet.org, Pronto, Downtown Books, and, if available, at the door; tickets are $12 for students and $15 for adults.
These performances are sponsored by CornerStone Bank, A.B. Hammond Orthodontics, Austin Electrical Construction, Lexington Smiles, Rockbridge Barbell, Rockbridge Homes and Barns, Furr Insurance, Lexington Moose Lodge, Rockbridge Regional Tourism board of directors, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
ROCKBRIDGE BALLET dancers performing in “Beauty and the Beast” include (bottom row, from left) Ava Perdew, Lena Greer, Grace Fleshman, Claire Sigler, (middle row) Katie Ambrogi, Estella Crocker, Bethany Hickman, Libby Pearson, Shanta Dates, Avery Woody, Emma Stinnett, (top row) Atleigh Mason, Jylian Grace Hayes, Annalee Penny, Lilly Wunder, Summer Hull, Ella Cate Brown and Reagan Coleman.
