Melrose Youth Ballet
Performances
The Nutcracker - 1995 to Present
Each December, Melrose Youth Ballet stages a full-length production of The Nutcracker ballet. This holiday classic is based on the story The Nutcracker and the King of Mice written by E.T.A. Hoffman. The staged version of the story that we see today differs from the original story, but the basic plot remains the same. It is the story of a young girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King and his army of mice.
The ballet was originally choreographed by Marius Petipa. This talented choreographer based his ballet on the revised version of The Nutcracker, written by French author, Alexander Dumas. His version reflects more of what we have come to love as the Nutcracker Ballet.
The Sleeping Beauty - 2015
The Sleeping Beauty is a three acts ballet, the story was written by Marius Petipa and Ivan Vsevolojsky. It was based on Charles Perrault's 1697 fairy tale "The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood". The music was written by Tchaikovsky. Prologue - The Christening, Act I - The Spell, ACT II – Prince Désiré’s Journey & Act III – The Wedding Celebration.
Alice in Wonderland - 2013
Alice in Wonderland is a ballet in three acts by Christopher Wheeldon with a scenario by Nicholas Wright. It was commissioned by The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden, and the National Ballet of Canada and had its world premiere on Monday, 28 February 2011. The music by Joby Talbot is the first full-length score (1 hour 40 minutes) for the Royal Ballet in 20 years. The ballet is based on Lewis Carroll's well-known children's story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
The Four Seasons - 2012
This collection of original works is set to the famous music of Antonio Vivaldi. Composed in 1723, these four violin concertos display Vivaldi’s best-known work. The texture and mood of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season. The collection of dances presented also reflect the character of each season, portraying the ebb and flow of weather in New England. Melrose Youth Ballet was honored to be sharing the work of guest choreographers, Tara Tommasiello and Anthony Williams, along with work from resident Directors, Jaclyn Demianiuk and Christina Leonard-Kristan.
Coppélia - 2011
Coppélia is a lovely full-length ballet that is light-hearted and charming. It tells the story of Dr. Coppelius, a doll-maker who has crafted a beautiful doll, and displays her in his second story window for the town to see. She is so lifelike, that Franz, a village peasant falls in love with her. His girlfriend, Swanhilda, is jealous of his admiration and decides to play a trick on him on the doll-maker. In a humorous array of actions, this fairy-tale ballet comes to life. The ballet was composed by Leo Délibes and originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon
Cinderella - 2010
The story of the Cinderella ballet is one that people are familiar with. It has been creatively interpreted by many ballet and dance companies around the world, but we chose to stick to the traditional fairy-tale story that has proved timeless over the years. Cinderella is the step-daughter who is forced to spend her days cleaning the house without rest. Her step-sisters are relentlessly obnoxious and hilarious in the ballet. The story unfolds with the magic of a fairy-tale and the ballet concludes with the "happy ending" that is so familiar. The ballet was composed by Sergei Prokofiev and originally choreographed by Marius Petipas.
Summer Gala - 2009
In the summer of 2009, Artistic and Associate Directors, Jaclyn Demianiuk and Christina Leonard-Kristan debuted MYB's first ever summer performances. An intimate demonstration of ballet shorts, contemporary work, and signature repertory work was staged at the United Methodist Church hall to an audience of 80 people. This modest show led the way to expand MYB's repertoire to include an annual summer ballet performance, now being held at the Melrose Middle School auditorium.