Tickets are now on sale for the entertaining digital spring season being offered by West Hartford-based Ballet Theatre Company.

Dancers Alexandra Hutchinson and Derek Brockington of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Photography by Renee Choi.

Submitted

This spring, Ballet Theatre Company (BTC), West Hartford’s premier ballet company, will continue to entertain audiences locally and nationally with the premiere of two digitally presented performances, “Up Close: Spring” featuring the premiere of “Budding Affairs,” and the full-length classical ballet, “Snow White.”

This past Fall, BTC produced its first ever digital performance, “Up Close: Fall” featuring the premieres of “Autumn Aurora,” set to Vivialdi’s “Autumn” concerto, and “Flashes,” set to music by popular 1960s artists. Households from 16 states across the country tuned into this digital performance and reconnected themselves with the power of the performing arts.

On May 1, BTC will premiere “Up Close: Spring” featuring a new work titled, “Budding Affairs,” sponsored in part by Ivan and Marianne Mueller. This piece, set to Vivaldi’s “Spring” concerto, will feature choreography by Artistic Director Stephanie Dattellas and dancing by BTC’s Season Dancers Emily Silva, Jo-ann Burke, and Joseph Beltre, as well as guest artists from Dance Theatre of Harlem, Alexandra Hutchinson and Derek Brockington.

BTC Season Dancer Emily Silva. Photography by Thomas Giroir

Brockington, a past guest artist featured in BTC’s 2018 and 2019 productions of “The Nutcracker,”has become quite the dance world sensation with his friend and Dance Theatre of Harlem co-worker, Alexandra Hutchinson. The two produced “Dancing Through Harlem” this past summer, spearheading several other dancers from the prestigious Harlem-based company to perform Robert Garland’s “New Bach” throughout the streets of Harlem, NY. Aside from a raving review from The New York Times, they have been recognized on The Ellen Show and have raised a total of $4,855 on their YouTube page through sharing their video on social media platforms. BTC is thrilled to be working with both of these talented and influential dancers this spring.

Dancers Alexandra Hutchinson and Derek Brockington of Dance Theatre of Harlem. Photography by Renee Choi.

Since 2018, BTC has premiered a full-length storybook ballet each spring, expanding its long-standing tradition of spring repertoire performances, which previously featured excerpts from classical ballets or new works set by BTC faculty and guest choreographers. The effects of COVID-19 prohibited BTC from producing its planned spring performance of “Aladdin” last year, but this spring, from June 12-30, the company will present the classical, full-length ballet, “Snow White,” in a movie-style presentation.

The classic story, based off of the Grimm’s Fairy Tale, will be told through dancing by BTC’s professional Season Dancers and pre-professional Corps de Ballet members, local and regional guest artists, and students from The School of Ballet Theatre Company. Scenes will be filmed in various Connecticut locations, including Topsmead State Forest, the Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine, Harkness Memorial State Park, and a private residence in Winchester, CT. All filming and editing will be completed by  Peter Cofrancesco of Creation Dream Video, a talented, local professional videographer and frequent collaborator with BTC.

BTC is currently seeking the support of local businesses to sponsor a leading character in its digital production of “Snow White.” Character Sponsorships offer visibility to sponsoring businesses in all of BTC’s “Snow White” marketing materials (print and digital) and are offered in two tiers. The first tier includes sponsorships for leading characters (i.e. Snow White, the Evil Queen, the Magic Mirror, etc.), while the second is for each of the seven charming Dwarfs. Sponsorships directly support BTC’s local professionals, including dancers, costume designers, videographers, production managers, and others involved in bringing this film-adapted ballet to life. To learn more about sponsoring a character in BTC’s “Snow White,” visit BTC’s website.

Tickets for BTC’s Spring Digital Season are on sale now! Tickets for “Up Close: Spring, Budding Affairs” are $15 per household. Tickets for “Snow White” are $35 per household. A $5 discount is applied at checkout when tickets to both spring performances are purchased at the same time. Household tickets are determined by IP address and allow unlimited viewing access to the ticket holder for the duration of the premiere length. “Budding Affairs” will premiere from May 1-9 and “Snow White” will premiere from June 12-30.

Ballet Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It is supported in part by the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development Office of the Arts, The Roberts Foundation, Cricket Press, and We-Ha.com.

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