If you’ve been waiting for just the right time to take your preschooler to the ballet, without fearing fits of squirming or screaming, this may be the time.
Olympic Ballet Theatre is presenting two short ballets that are especially designed for preschool through age 13. Olympic is calling it a “delightful introduction to the magic of theater.”
The ballets are “Madeline &the Bad Hat” and “A Collection of Clown Ballets.” The performance takes place at the Edmonds Center for the Arts Feb. 21.
“The mission of our children’s production is to bring dramatic works that make it easy and fun to enjoy,” said Olympic’s artistic director Helen Wilkins. “We think we are fully capable of expressing life’s challenges and teaching children through seeing a ballet.”
These two-bill shows begin with “A Collection of Clown Ballets,” which might not impart a lot of lesson-learning but will indeed give youngsters the experience of frolicking, conspiring and cavorting with the dancers who explore the lighter side of dance.
The first of the clown ballets is packed with a bunch of action and even dips a little bit into the dark side.
It’s about an Alchemist whose dream is to be whatever character he chooses. There are episodes throughout the ballet where he teases the girl dancers and they tease him back, spin him around and make fun of him. He retreats to his cobweb-filled desk, only to jump out as a Clown.
The girls dance with him but he goes back to his desk and rises again as the Alchemist. He even has a bubbly brew that scares the girls.
Soon, the Alchemist turns into a handsome young man who chooses one of the girls, hypnotizes her and takes her back to his desk where she disappears into his world.
You see. It’s a little bit dark. But dancer Shannon Romeo, 15, of Bothell, who is the chosen one, enjoys the ballet for just that reason.
“It’s a little weird. It’s normal until the ending and I’m taken into his world but the rest of it is just like really fun,” Romeo said. “It’s definitely different.”
Romeo said the music for the Alchemist is almost harsh, with lots of flute and very loud — definitely something to keep the kids entertained.
The other two Clown ballets are called “Pressure Cooker,” interpreted by dancer Jennifer King of Arlington, and “The Story of the Grande Pulcinella,” about a young dancer who has yet to grow her tutu.
The high-spirited “Madeline &the Bad Hat” takes up the second half of the show.
The story has Miss Clavel’s 12 little girls assembled in two straight lines and then the girls tease and test their new neighbor, a boy whom Madeline has named “The Bad Hat” (played by Henry Zing). A game of leapfrog ensues and Bad Hat breaks his arm, causing Miss Clavel to become very angry. Madeline doesn’t apologize and blames the whole thing on Bad Hat’s bad behavior. The Bad Hat wants to be forgiven and takes everyone to the circus. At the circus, Madeline gets herself in a dangerous situation, but Bad Hat saves her. The two finally become friends.
Doing “Madeline” gives Olympic Ballet the chance to teach lessons, such as looking beyond first impressions, and entertaining younger audiences, Wilkins said.
“They love the fun of dancing for children,” she said. “We had a little run through the other day and the dancers left the building saying, ‘This is a great show. this is going to be fun.’ “
Theresa Goffredo is a reporter for The Herald newspaper in Everett.
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