HUNTSVILLE – It has been over a year since COVID-19 put a temporary halt to the local performing arts scene, but that was last year. The Huntsville Ballet Company (HBC) is back — following up their first performance of year, Big Spring Dreams in February, with a new production of Peter and the Wolf on April 16-18.

Along with the perfomance the ballet company will present an encore performance of Big Spring Dreams which audiences greeted with standing ovations. Also performed will be the world-famous Act II pas de deux from Don Quixote choreographed by Marius Petipa.

The show will be held at the Dream Theater, located at the Rock Family Worship Center in Huntsville.

“This will be our second return to the stage since the pandemic forced us to cancel our season,” said Phillip Otto, Artistic Director for the Huntsville Ballet Company. “Our dancers are excited to be performing on stage again even with masks and for a smaller audience due to social distancing requirements.”

“I have always wanted to choreograph a production of Peter and the Wolf, which is a family-oriented ballet great for children of all ages,” Otto said. Peter and the Wolf is a captivating story ballet set to the well-known classical music of Sergei Prokofiev. Prokofiev composed Peter and the Wolf in 1936 to introduce children to the different instruments in the orchestra.

There will also be an encore performance of Big Spring Dreams which is an eclectic collection of vignettes of human emotion: love, inspiration, happiness, and hope, dedicated to the city of Huntsville. Big Spring Dreams features choreography by Huntsville Ballet School’s own Gina Guerrera as well as choreography by HBC alum, Desmond Nunn who is currently performing in the first national tour of Hamilton: An American Musical.

The HBC has built a reputation for beautifully choreographed and professional performances by a team of elite dancers. “Our goal is to entertain our audiences and bring the art of dance to life,” Otto said.  “New sets are being designed and built by local lighting/scenic designer Cynthia Meyer who I have enjoyed working with for the past 12 years. She is a true artist in every sense of the word and adds a magical touch to our performances.”

The HBC appreciates the generosity of the local community and its continuing support.  This performance serves as a fundraiser to help “Bridge the Ballet” through the pandemic and on to a brighter future.

As one of Huntsville’s oldest arts organizations, Huntsville Ballet Company is justifiably proud of its long history of excellence in dance training and performances. Audiences are annually delighted by the company’s season presentations. Along with the annual production of The Nutcracker, our repertoire includes ballets such as Romeo and Juliet, The Firebird, Sleeping Beauty, and Peter Pan. Additionally, the company presents cutting edge choreography in its Unplugged series and the more recent HBC Off-Stage series. In 2015, the Huntsville Ballet Company became North Alabama’s first professional ballet company, one of only four such companies in the state.

Huntsville Ballet’s performance will be presented April 16-18 at the newly renovated Dream Theater Located on the Huntsville campus of the Rock Family Worship Center, 3401 Holmes Avenue. Parking is free.

Performance times are:

Friday April 16, 2021 at 7:00pm

Saturday April 17, 2021 at 2:00pm

Saturday April 17, 2021 at 7:00pm

Sunday April 18, 2021 at 3:00pm

*** ALL SEATS SOCIALLY DISTANT-MASK REQUIRED ***

Tickets Information: Huntsvilleballet.org or 256-539-0961