Littleton Performing Arts Center (Littleton, MA)
Dance Prism presents A Ghostly Gala, a program of four ballets centered on phantoms and spirits, including the Russian folk legend of the magical Firebird, the pirates' yarn of the ghost ship Flying Dutchman, a setting of Poe's chilling tale "The Masque of the Red Death," and the second act of Giselle, classical ballet's most beloved ghost story.
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Following the program, children and adults who dare will be welcomed at a “Phantom Festival” in the theater lobby for a reception to meet the spectral characters of the ballets. Those brave enough to face the possible tricks will be rewarded with complementary treats.
Company dancers are especially looking forward to the challenges of Giselle, one of the most iconic ballets of the classical repertoire. In the second act, the spirit of Giselle, who has died of grief after being betrayed by her lover, is inducted into the Wilis, the vengeful souls of maidens deserted on their wedding days. She must either try to rescue her deceitful prince or leave him to the merciless judgment of the Wilis. The ballet’s traditional choreography is being set by Miranda Bailey, who will be returning from Columbia City Ballet to dance the title role. Bailey’s partner, in the role of the Prince, will be frequent Dance Prism guest artist John Michael Takashima, also of Columbia City Ballet.
Equally demanding, and peopled by much more ghoulish characters, Firebird recounts the ancient Russian folktale of the magical bird of fire, an adventurous Prince and his beautiful princess, and the infamous wizard Kostchei the Immortal, who holds all within his reach in an infernal enchantment. Adapted from Michail Fokine’s 1910 choreography, Dance Prism’s new production will feature Clarissa Eaton as the triumphant Firebird, Jonathan H. Towle as the evil Kostchei, Marissa Bedard and Matt Tucker as the Prince & Princess, and phalanxes of Kostchei’s skeletal, monstrous, and generally horrifying minions.
Rounding out the program will be two brief works, The Flying Dutchman, a dancer’s impression of the legend of the ghost ship (immortalized once by Wagner’s opera and of late by Johnny Depp), whose pirate crew is doomed to sail the oceans for eternity; and The Masque of the Red Death, a lush masked ball inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s story of a prince who tries to evade death by living in opulent seclusion from the external world.
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