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LakeCities Ballet Theatre performs Dracula
By Heather M. Goodwin, hgoodwin@starlocalnews.com
Once again the LakeCities Ballet Theatre (LBT) will perform its original Dracula ballet at the Medical Center of Lewisville.
The 29th LBT season will kick off with three performances of "Le Ballet de Dracula." The ballet will be performed at the Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles St. The theater was built on the original grounds of what used to be the First Baptist Church of Lewisville where Le Ballet de Dracula first premiered six years ago.
"We're very excited to be coming back to the MCL Grand," said Tom Rutherford, writer of "Le Ballet de Dracula.
"Le Ballet de Dracula" is an original ballet written by Rutherford and choreographed by Kelly Lannin, artistic director for LBT.
"I thought that Halloween is such a big holiday that people would enjoy this. I thought the best thing to do would be to take a subject that everyone knew, like Dracula, but put my own spin on it," Rutherford said. "After I finished the story I brought it to Kelly, and we started working on the ballet. I bet we went through 100 pieces of music trying to create the best score for the ballet."
This year, the ribbon dance that premiered last year will be brought back as well as a new dance. New this year will be a pas de trios, which is a French term usually referring to a dance in ballet between three people.
"Le Ballet de Dracula" opens at a fall harvest celebration held by the locals of a small eastern European village. After winning the heart of the young maiden, Aurelia, Marius asks her father's permission to marry her. He gives Aurelia a necklace and jeweled crucifix as a present, but soon, the couple is confronted by a strange visitor, who becomes intent on having Aurelia for himself and enlists the help of his minion, Ratcliff, to steal her away. At the peak of act one, the true nature of their uninvited guest is revealed as an entranced Aurelia is swept off of her feet by this un-dead creature, Count Dracula.
"I'm very excited to be dancing this part," said Bridget Polei, who performs as Aurelia. "It was a very hard competition to get this part. There was an audition and a callback."
Polei has been dancing with LBT for 15 years. She began dancing as a sash dancer in "Dracula" and as an angel in "The Nutcracker."
"This is like my second home. I'm here everyday except for Fridays and Saturday s," Polei said. "I keep coming back because of the people - I love the people here. My ultimate goal is to be a professional ballerina, but I also want to dance in college."
Polei said she is looking forward to working on her acting and partnering skills with her role in Dracula.
"I really want to feel good about my performance in this role," Polei said. "I've been watching videos of past performances and practicing at home to prepare for this role."
In the second act, the Marius must fight his way through Dracula's castle and fight for the life of Aurelia. In the opening scene, the audience learns that Aurelia is not the only bride in the castle. Dracula's harem of brides is led by the evil Marcela. The brides appear ready to fight with supernatural power to please their master and rid the castle of Marius.
Shannon Beacham will return to perform as Dracula for the second year.
For information contact LakeCities Ballet Theatre at 972-317-7987 or email information@lakecitiesballet.org.
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