Oklahoma City ballet chooses Halloween tie-in
BY RICK ROGERS
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Published: October 25, 2009
American ballet companies often plan their seasons so that one or more productions will coincide with the holidays. Think "The Nutcracker” for Christmas or "Romeo and Juliet” for Valentine’s Day. The Oklahoma City Ballet is continuing that trend this month with a Halloween tie-in for "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”
Oklahoma City Ballet kicks off its 2009-10 season with a production of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Photo courtesy of Central Pennsylvania Ballet
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ON STAGE
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
→When: 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday.
→Where: Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.
→Information: 848-8637.
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Gregory Robinson is restaging the ballet based on Alan Hineline’s original production for the
Central Pennsylvania Ballet. Music is by
Lanny Meyers, a two-time
Emmy Award-winning composer best known for his musical contributions to "Remember WENN” and several Berenstain Bears television productions.
Douglas Droste, director of orchestral studies at
Oklahoma State University, will conduct the
Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
Based on
Washington Irving’s "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” the ballet focuses on superstitious schoolmaster
Ichabod Crane, who competes with Brom Bones for the hand of
Katrina Van Tassel. As Crane rides home from a party, he is pursued by the unforgettable Headless Horseman.
"One thing that attracted me to Alan’s ballet was the idea that Ichabod Crane is a schoolmaster,” said
Robert Mills, Oklahoma City Ballet artistic director. "That would allow us to involve kids from our ballet school in the production. There are about 15 kids who will get stage experience working alongside professional dancers.
"The story lends itself quite well to ballet. In addition to this spooky tale of a ghost who roamed the woods around this quiet, little town, it’s also a love story. Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane are both in love with Katrina, which sets up this struggle between the two men.”
While classical ballets such as "Giselle,” "Coppelia,” "Swan Lake,” "Sleeping Beauty” and "Romeo and Juliet” are regularly staged throughout the world, newer works are constantly being added to the repertory. Today, thanks to the advent of the DVD, contemporary works have a much better chance of gaining widespread notice.
"Before VHS and DVDs, you had to travel to see new ballets,” Mills said. "There’s so much good work being done today, and it’s important to keep informed. That’s how I found out about Alan’s ‘Sleepy Hollow’ ballet. The moment I saw it on the DVD, I knew I wanted to do it here. It was the complexity of the story that appealed to me.
"You get into the minds of these characters and discover why they have the feelings they do for each other. Dancers are actors, and that’s the key to making a ballet like this real. You have to bring the audience into what’s happening. It’s more than just the movement; the dancers have to embody the character. I am really proud of what they’re doing with it.”
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