On Sunday, June 24, The
Ridgefield School of Dance will perform a children's ballet based on the Lewis
Carroll classic tale, "Alice in Wonderland."
This original ballet has been conceived and choreographed by school director,
Nancy
Baldwin, to many of the musical works of Claude Bolling. Also assisting in some
of the choreography are faculty members Emily West and Sarah Roberts and
Ridgefield School of Dance Company member Sarah Maisano. This will be the second
full ballet the school has presented this season.
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Wilton resident, Sarah Maisano, as The Fairy
Godmother and Michaela Giovannoli of Ridgefield, as Cinderella, in the ballet,
"Cinderella," performed by The Ridgefield School of Dance on Sunday, June 10.
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The characters in
"Alice in Wonderland" will be performed by the younger dancers of the school
with many of the school's company members and upper level dancers performing the
leading roles. Dance company members from Wilton are Sophie Collender, Olivia
Collender, Eleanor Greene, Danielle Pozzi, Eloise Reese and Emma Thom.
Performing the title role of Alice, is company member Isabel Golden; Julia
Galanski will be the White Rabbit. Other roles danced by upper level students
will be Katrina Uy as The Mad Hatter, Emily Proctor and Annabel Robert as
Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, Yvonne Lerner as the Doormouse, Caroline Ball as
the Cheshire Cat, and Sarah Maisano as the Queen of Hearts. Former students,
Desarae and Daria
Laemmerhirt, on break from Nutmeg Ballet, will dance the roles of Alice's sister
and The March Hare.
In addition to "Alice in Wonderland, " the Jazz, Hip Hop and Modern departments
will also perform.
The Jazz offering this year titled "Let's Dance 2007" is an energetic
compilation of dances directed and choreographed by Jazz Department director,
Wendy Perreault. The entire Jazz Department will be performing. "Pendulum," a
lyrical dance in two
parts, directed and choreographed by faculty member Sarah Roberts, will be this
year's modern presentation. Andrew McFadden, the newest member of the school's
faculty, has choreographed hip hop dances for individual and combined classes
and will also perform in a duet.
This is the second full ballet choreographed by Ms. Baldwin and presented by the
school this spring. "Cinderella," the ballet danced to the music of Sergei
Prokofiev, was performed the weekend of June 9, by the upper level school
dancers and The Ridgefield School of Dance Ballet Company.
"By presenting two distinctly different ballets, our company members really have
the chance to explore the diversity of styles that classical ballet and
contemporary ballet have to offer," said Ms. Baldwin. "They did an extraordinary
job presenting a beautiful classical ballet and I now look forward to seeing
them enjoy a stylistically different modern ballet."
Company members Sarah Maisano and Michaela Giovannoli performed the title role
of Cinderella and Fairy Godmother on alternating days. With guest dancer, Elias
Orelup, a member of the Nutmeg ballet in Torrington, as the Prince, and
Ridgefield residents and actors Kay Mayr and Barry Corn as the Stepmother and
Prince's Page, respectively.
The performance will begin at 4 p,m, on June 24, at East Ridge Middle School in
Ridgefield. Tickets are available at the door.
Information: Nancy Baldwin at 431-6134, or
theridgefieldschoolofdance.com