The New England Ballet Theatre will present an original ballet, ‘The Long Black Veil,’ at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford.

Courtesy of New England Ballet Theatre

Submitted

New England Ballet Theatre (NEBT) presents: The Long Black Veil on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. at the Hoffman Auditorium at the University of Saint Joseph, 1678 Asylum Ave, West Hartford, CT 06117.

New England Ballet Theatre is proud to present an original ballet based on the country ballad “The Long Black Veil.” Opening the company’s first performance of the fifth anniversary season, this world premiere runs for one night only. Rachael Gnatowski’s original choreography will enrapture audiences of all ages in a dark but family-friendly homage to all things Americana. The production will feature the company dancers of NEBT as well as guest artists Jacob Shoup, Myles Kercher, and Cody Burlin.

Dancers with quilt. Courtesy of New England Ballet Theatre

The Long Black Veil is set in a rural Appalachian town in the late 1800s. It follows two couples, Frederick and Abigail, and Jackson and Margaret. The town is preparing for a celebration, and Frederick and Margaret, who are secretly in love, sneak away to share a moment together. But all is interrupted when there’s a sudden murder in the town. The mysterious stranger who did the deed has escaped into the shadows of twilight, leaving Frederick looking like the guilty party. This production will feature new costumes by Fiona Burlin (NEBT’s Costume Director), live music composed by local fiddle player Cat Lines, and quilts generously loaned to NEBT by Greater Hartford Quilt Guild.

Courtesy of New England Ballet Theatre

Executive and Artistic Director Rachael Gnatowski says, “The Long Black Veil is a celebration of Americana sprinkled with drama, romance, and suspense. The country ballad that inspired this ballet was preserved by the Library of Congress in the National Recording Registry for being ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.’ Our production intends to pay homage to that American folk tradition, and includes nods to sacred harp singing, fiddling, and quilting. We hope to see you at the theater for this special, one-of-a-kind production.”

To purchase tickets, visit neballettheatre.com/the-long-black-veil. All tickets are general admission and cost $30.

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