LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (News release) — Ballet Arkansas, the state’s professional ballet company, is working in partnership with the creative team at Cranford Co. and the Historic Arkansas Museum to breathe new life into Sleepy Hollow.
The first production of Ballet Arkansas’ 2019/20 Season, Sleepy Hollow takes the stage on the weekend of October 18-20, 2019 at UA – Pulaski Tech CHARTS Theater in North Little Rock for four public performances and one student matinee (school) show.
A world-premiere multimedia ballet designed in collaboration with the creative team at Cranford Co, Sleepy Hollow is a bold retelling of a classic Halloween tale, just in time for the Holiday. Featuring 360 sound and captivating video and photo projections filmed by Cranford Co. at the Historic Arkansas Museum, this unique take on Washington Irving’s classic tale combines the beauty of visual art with breathtaking original choreography by Executive and Artistic Director, Michael Fothergill. Ballet Arkansas’ Sleepy Hollow is not your stereotypical story ballet. “We’ve combined dramatic world premiere choreography with stunning multimedia content that features the professional dancers of Ballet Arkansas.
Our visionary portrayal is unlike any other and is a bold new take on the classic narrative,” says Fothergill. “I’ve taken a rather ambiguous storyline and infused it with narrative that dives much deeper into the relationships of those present in the town.” Narratives like these are what stretches the company, and make it a competitor on the national scale. “Not only do we tell stories at Ballet Arkansas, but we tell them well and in unique ways,” says Fothergill. “A story of love, drama, and mystery, Sleepy Hollow starts off the season with a spooky tone, similar to last season’s wildly popular production of Dracula,” says Associate Artistic Director, Catherine Fothergill.
From the musical selections by composers such as Dimitri Shostakovitch, Francis Poulenc, Alfred Schnittke, and Benjamin Britton, to newly created sets and costumes, the production “is a true blending of classic and modern, and eerie, through and through,” says Michael Fothergill. A part of Ballet Arkansas’ mission as a nonprofit organization is creative collaboration, and partnering with both Cranford Co. and the Historic Arkansas Museum makes the ballet a true Arkansas world premiere, which will provide a rich audience and community experience.
Student Matinee Performance Ballet Arkansas is proud to offer discounted student matinee performances for each of our main stage performances for the 2019/20 season. Each student matinee performance includes a study guide, and a special Q&A with the dancers and Artistic Staff of Ballet Arkansas during intermission, providing a behind the scenes look at the production and the arts.
Ballet Arkansas’ student matinee performance of Sleepy Hollow will be held on Friday, October 18th at 10:30 am at UA-PTC CHARTS Theater. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults, and educators may register their students at balletarkansas.org or [https://www.balletarkansas.org/student-matinees]. All reservations must be made before October 4, 2019. Payment is due in full by October 11, 2019.
Public Performance Dates & Tickets Sleepy Hollow takes the stage at UA – Pulaski Technical College’s Center for Humanities and Arts Theater in North Little Rock, on October 18-20, 2019. Ballet Arkansas will present four public performances, Friday, October 18, 7:30 pm, Saturday, October 19, 2:30 pm and 7:30 pm, and Sunday, October 20, 2:30pm.
Audience members are encouraged to enjoy the holiday spirit and wear a Halloween costume to the Saturday, October 19, 7:30 pm performance. Tickets range from $25-35 and are available at [http://www.uaptc.edu/ballet] or by calling the CHARTS Box Office at (501) 812-2710. Students with a valid college ID may purchase $10 student rush tickets 45 minutes prior to the performance. Tickets are on sale now.
Ballet Arkansas’ performance of Sleepy Hollow will run approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, including intermission. Learn more about Ballet Arkansas Season 41 at www.balletarkansas.org. About Ballet Arkansas Ballet Arkansas, the foremost professional ballet company of the State of Arkansas, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Through a roster of talented artists and dancers, Ballet Arkansas presents vibrant and diverse repertory featuring classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works by world renowned choreographers.
A driving force in the State, Ballet Arkansas is committed to creative collaboration, community outreach, high quality dance education, the evolution of arts programming across the region, and is devoted to making high quality professional dance performance accessible to all. The productions of Ballet Arkansas promise to enrich the lives of all in attendance.
Under the artistic direction of Michael and Catherine Fothergill, Ballet Arkansas enters the 2018/19 season with renewed energy, bold programming, and plans for growth.
Our Mission To provide world-class dance performances featuring a diverse repertory that includes classical and contemporary works, and educational programming for young audiences. To position the company as a pillar of the Arkansas performing arts community and to educate the public about dance, and act as an ambassador for the State of Arkansas.
