Auditions have been set for a new holiday ballet based on the poem ‘The Night Before Christmas’ on Aug. 25 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ballet Aligned studios at 1115 North, 200 East in Logan.
LOGAN – Auditions have been set for a new holiday ballet on Thursday, Aug. 25.
That ballet will be an original work based on the famous poem by Clement C. Moore The Night Before Christmas.
It will debut in December as a benefit for the Little Lambs Foundation, a local non-profit organization that provides diapers and baby supplies to low-income families and comfort kits to children placed in foster care.
Those try-outs will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Ballet Aligned studios at 1115 North, 200 East in Logan on Thursday. Prior online registration is required at www.balletaligned.com/the-night-before-christmas/
Dancers and performers of all types are invited to audition, according to Steffanie Casperson, the director of Ballet Aligned. Dancing roles are guaranteed for dancers 5- to 12-years-old who commit to the classes and rehearsals.
“That’s the beauty of doing something original,” Casperson explains. “When recreating well-known classics, you have limited children’s roles and are bound by tradition.
“A new performance can be more intimate and interactive for the audience. The dance itself can meet each dancer where he or she is at and challenge them to become better.”
The storyline of the new holiday production is being jointly developed by Casperson and Joel Ackerman, a writer/publisher/producer and current creative director for Angel Studios.
“Joel is a master story-teller,” Casperson said. “I happen to know that he is also a huge ballet fan. So I asked him to help with the story so it could have a deeper emotional impact and share a message of hope.”
The money generated by ticket sales for The Night Before Christmas will go directly to the Little Lambs Foundation. Donations of shampoo, conditioner and body wash for the Little Lambs’ comfort kits will be accepted at the Ballet Aligned studios on the evening of the auditions on Aug. 25.
Performance dates will be announced once a venue is secured, Casperson said.
“A ballet is a full artistic collaboration,” Casperson added. “It takes music; story-telling; acting; the artistry of set-builders and costume-makers; and, of course, the dance itself.
“We are hoping that anyone with a desire to grow, improve and share their talents will be a part of this production in some way.”
According to its website, Ballet Aligned is an organization committed to making better ballet more accessible.
It offers mini-sessions, providing young dancers their first taste of classical ballet; master classes with professional dancers; and community engagement efforts to help parents, students, and teachers expand their expertise in this art form.