Press Releases
Long Island Ballet Theatre Presents “ALICE IN WONDERLAND ” – a theatrical ballet that promises to be as entertaining as the movie
Huntington, NY . . . Long Island Ballet Theatre presents a new full-length production of Alice in Wonderland, a new ballet by award-winning choreographer, Christopher Fleming. It will take place on Saturday, June 5th at 3PM and 7PM, and on Sunday, June 6th at 3PM at the Long Island High School for the Arts (Nassau BOCES, 29 Cold Spring Rd., Syosset, NY) Tickets are available on line at www.LIBALLETTHEATRE.COM. Adults $32, Children 17 & under $25.
Based on Lewis Carroll’s timeless classic “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, the ballet tells the story of a little girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and crazy characters. The production uses both contemporary and classical music to create whimsy and comedy. Ultimately the tale plays with logic in ways that have given the story lasting popularity with adults as well as children. This production will feature many life-sized animal characters such as The Caterpillar, Cheshire Cat, The Mad Hatter, White Rabbit and many furry friends that Alice meets in the forest such as kittens, bunnies & skunks – all creating a theatrical environment that has been the hallmark of LIBT story ballets such as Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.
This fun-filled family classic will feature artistry from professional dancers that hail from New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Returning to LIBT is an alumna of many LIBT/HBT productions, Tabitha Alessi, dancing the title role of Alice. Ms. Alessi trained at Huntington Ballet Academy located at Huntington Center for Performing Arts, and has appeared as the Sugar Plum Fairy in LIBT’s 2008 Nutcracker, The Lilac Fairy in LIBT’s 2007 production of Sleeping Beauty, and countless other roles leading to her current professional career with Ballet Theater of Maryland.
Returning to the stage for LIBT is Long Island native Case Bodamer (King of Hearts). Mr. Bodaner, raised on the south shore of Long Island, is currently a member of Dayton Ballet in Ohio. Alice in Wonderland will be directed by Christopher Fleming. Mr. Fleming is a world-renowned choreographer and director and has danced under the direction of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. He just completed staging LIBT’s 2nd annual Gala this past March for LIBT – Art in Motion program featuring NYC Ballet principal Daniel Ulbricht
Long Island Ballet Theatre History
Joan Albright and Susan Alessi established The Huntington Center for Performing Arts (“The Center”) in 2005 to offer Long Island a conservatory environment in which to learn and experience the performing arts without having to travel to NYC! First they established the Huntington Ballet Academy to support the ambitious work of Long Island Ballet Theatre (LIBT) formerly known as Huntington Ballet Theatre; the organization where they had forged their friendship some five years prior. Huntington Ballet Theatre changed its name in March 2009 to Long Island Ballet Theatre to expand its audience and support structure to all of Long Island.
Huntington Ballet Theatre was founded by Jan Hanniford Goetz, who envisioned a chamber-sized ballet company comprising professional dancers and students, dancers capable of dancing with noted professionals. Ms. Goetz, a gifted choreographer, created the company’s first production, The Nutcracker, which was heralded by Newsday as one of the best in the area and which the company still performs to this day. In recent years the company has been led by various ballet professionals including Anthony Jones (a protégé of Ms. Goetz), Angela Whitehill (founder of Burklyn Ballet Theatre) and, at present, Christopher Fleming, formerly of New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater, now a sought-after choreographer and professor of dance at Goucher College in Baltimore. Mr. Fleming, like his teacher and mentor George Balanchine, is creating original work for LIBT that includes modern, contemporary and classical styles.
During the past decade, the company’s repertoire has grown to include classical productions of Coppelia, Sleeping Beauty, and Cinderella, and in 2008 a new Nutcracker. It has also performed original contemporary work at the Long Island Dance Consortium’s Festival of Dance, Huntington Arts Council’s Summer Arts Festival, and The Long Island Ballet Competition. In 2009 LIBT presented an original Halloween Ballet – Tales from the Crypt also choreographed by Christopher Fleming.
Tickets may be purchased on-line:www.liballettheatre.com or by phone: 866-811-4111