LOGAN – The local Ballet Aligned studio will premier its newest production of Velveteen Rabbit on Monday, April 20 and Tuesday, April 21.
That production, which is slated for the Utah Theatre in downtown Logan, will be a benefit to support Operation Literacy, a non-profit dedicated to inspiring children’s love of reading, fostering creativity and giving young people the tools they need to tell their own stories.
The partnership between Ballet Aligned and Operation Literacy is a perfect match, according to Steffanie Casperson, the studio’s artistic director.
“When Operation Literacy reached out, I jumped at the chance to partner with them,” Casperson explains.
“I especially love their focus on helping kids find their voices and tell their own stories. That’s exactly what ballet was for me as a small child and continues to be as a director.”
Only 50 percent of Utah’s third graders are reading at grade level, according to a recent report from the Ken C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.
Casperson says that’s a challenge that Utah parents and schools are working to address and one that Ballet Aligned is happy to support.
Based in the Dansante Building, the ballet studio has a long record of supporting worthy causes in the local community. Over the past five years, benefit performances of its “Once Upon a Storytime” series of ballets have provided more than $13,000 for various entities, including the Little Lambs Foundation, The Family Place and Zootah.
The staging of Velveteen Rabbit at the Utah Theatre will feature more than 40 children of all ages – from three-year old butterflies to a 20-something fairy – telling the beloved story of a stuff rabbit learning what it means to be real.
Casparson says that she has always loved sharing stories with children, particularly during her time as a Ballet West dancer when she toured Utah performing for elementary students.
Since retiring and moving to Cache Valley with her family, she has kept that tradition alive through her association with Ballet Aligned.
“We hope Velveteen Rabbit is exactly what’s needed right now,” Casparson adds. “Its warmth, vibrancy and message about living a meaningful life has the ability to fill hearts with the sort of beauty that echoes what we find in this valley …”
Performances of the Velveteen Rabbit are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on April 20 and 5:30 and 7 p.m. on April 21.
Tickets for the benefit are $12 each and can be obtained by going online to https://balletbenefit.com/
Addition information about Operation Literacy can be found at http://www.operationliteracy.org/
The Utah Theatre is located at 18 West Center Street in downtown Logan.