An Emerald ‘Mermaid’
Published 7:41 pm Tuesday, May 26, 2009
An evil sea witch with her escort of eels, mermaids, fisherman, a princess bride and underwater creatures — both comic and beautiful — surge across the stage during Emerald Ballet Theatre’s original production of “The Mermaid” May 30 at the Northshore Performing Arts Center.
More than 100 performers become storytellers without uttering a word in this retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. There are no voices or magic potions for love, just an evocative mixture of contemporary and classical ballet that will leave audiences speechless.
“Hans Christian Andersen’s story lends itself to the versatility of dance,” explains Meghan Perkins, EBT company dancer.
Viktoria Titova, artistic director of Emerald Ballet Theatre, leads the cast in a story of beauty, joy and tragedy. Previously a soloist with the Bolshoi Theatre Grigorivich Company, Titova dances the title role in addition to choreographing this original two act ballet. A cast of regional professionals, including Oleg Gorbolev, former soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet, round out an ensemble of EBT dancers.
Emerald Ballet Theatre’s mission is to be the place “where dancing hearts are nurtured and bodies honed into instruments of strength and beauty.” EBT’s program is noted for providing students opportunities to perform with professionals, dancing to a live orchestra, participating in a fully staged ballet complete with professional costumes and stage designs.
“It is remarkable to see so many male dancers in an Eastside dance production…” notes Sarah Jacobsen, teacher of EBT’s boys classes. “Our boys bring exuberance and athleticism to the studio and stage. They often come straight from baseball or soccer. We try and accommodate their other activities.”
