With an assist from fellow Ballet West dancer Kai Casperson, Chloe McAllister soars in the recent debut of “The Night Before Christmas” at the Utah Theatre. The two-night event raised nearly $5,000 for the local Little Lambs Foundation.
LOGAN — Benefit ballet performances of “The Night Before Christmas” on Dec. 12 and 13 at the Utah Theatre raised nearly $5,000 for the Little Lambs Foundation.
“I was so impressed by the professionalism of the entire program,” said Ted Chalfant, founder of the Little Lambs Foundation. “The children did a sensational job of retelling the familiar story through dance.”
A total of 490 tickets were sold for the two nights of the show. That included a near sell-out at the performance on Monday, said Darcy Ward, who was in the audience for both benefit performances.
Chalfant said that the non-profit group would use the money from ticket sales to provide necessary care items for children in need.
The staging of the original adaptation of “The Night Before Christmas” by Hollywood scriptwriter Joel Ackerman and local ballet instructor Steffanie Casperson was a collaborative effort between students at the Ballet Aligned academy and the Utah Festival Conservatory, the education arm of the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre.
Stephan Espinosa, the director of the UFO&MT conservatory, called the benefit ballet “… the perfect Christmas treat to warm you from the inside.”
Espinosa played the role of Grandpa Moore in the show, narrating the story of “The Night Before Christmas,” the immortal holiday poem by Clement C. Moore.
Sharing the Utah Theatre stage with Espinosa were current Ballet West dancer Kai Casperson as Mr. Moore and Chloe McAllister, who is now in training at the Ballet West Academy, as Mrs. Moore.
Both dancers are Logan natives who trained locally with former Ballet West performer Steffanie Casperson before pursuing professional training and ballet career opportunities in Salt Lake City.
They were also joined in performing “The Night Before Christmas” by other dancers who are students at Ballet Aligned academy here in Logan.
The audience reaction to the ballet performance was very positive, according to Steffanie Casperson.
“It was a perfect mix of talent, from beginners to professionals,” said Candace Woodward, whose daughter performed as a student from Ballet Aligned.
“It was funny and charming,” she added. “The costumes and characters were perfect.”
“Seeing my former students who have moved on to the ‘big time’ professional dance world perform alongside our current dancers was really special,” said Steffanie Casperson.
“I hope we inspired not only a deeper love for ballet among our dancers and audience members, but also a true appreciation for how much fun the work can be to become great at anything.”
The Little Lambs Foundation provides diapers and baby supplies to low-income families and comfort kits to children placed in foster care.
“Thank you to everyone who supported the ballet,” Chalfant said.
Based on the success of the two-night premiere of the “The Night Before Christmas,” Steffanie Casperson said that she hopes that it will become a holiday tradition for Cache Valley audiences in future years.
According to its website, Ballet Aligned is an organization dedicated to making better ballet more accessible.
In its efforts to engage the community, the school offers a wide range of experiences, from mini sessions that provide young dancers their first taste of classical ballet to master classes with professional dancers.