American Repertory Ballet will present its first ‘On Pointe Enrichment Series’ event on 7 February, specifically aimed at children from 2 years, and their families, entitled “Telling Stories Through Dance”. The American Repertory Ballet Trainees and members of American Repertory Ballet Workshop (ARBW), a performing group comprised of Princeton Ballet School’s advanced students, will perform Matthew Keefe’s Grumpy Bird and selected variations from Princeton Ballet School’s spring 2014 production of The Sleeping Beauty. All American Repertory Ballet’s On Pointe events are free and open to the public.
Grumpy Bird is a lively and humorous one act dance programme based on the children’s book. The Sleeping Beauty is a full-length classical ballet: it’s renowned tale tells the story of Princess Aurora, who sleeps for 100 years as a result of the sleeping spell cast by bad fairy Carabosse, and the Prince who breaks the spell with a kiss. Grumpy Bird has been performed as part of an assembly programme at numerous preschools and schools as a result of ARB’s Access & Enrichment initiatives, including planning ARB’s school time matinees and assembly programmes.
Discussion of the art of storytelling in dance will be led by ARB Resident Choreographer Mary Barton and ARB Director of Educational Programming Lisa Beth Vettoso. Barton is a long-time faculty member at Princeton Ballet School and also serves as a ballet master for the ARBW programme. She also directs the students’ rehearsals, namely oldest and most advanced groups. Barton also trains and coaches the Trainee division, which performs and rehearses with American Repertory Ballet in addition to ARBW. As Director of Educational Programming, Vettoso works extensively with ARB’s DANCE POWER programmes, including rehearsing the DANCE POWER Scholars and Dance Mix students.