“The Snow Queen,” a Russian tale of love, wonder and magic, will be presented by the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory on Saturday and Sunday, February 11 and 12, at 1 p.m. The event is a joint fundraiser to benefit the Sebastiani Theatre.
Choreographed by Brooke Byrne of San Francisco’s Khadra International Dance Theatre, the ballet incorporates elements of Russian character dance and ethnic-inspired costumes. The classic folktale, Russia’s equivalent to “The Nutcracker,” is full of fanciful, winter-themed characters such as The Frost Fairy, The Ice Princess, The Four Winds, and, of course, The Snow Maiden herself, performed by Viridiana Martinez
James Melendy will reprise his role as Lel, the young man who falls in love with the Snow Maiden and must fight to win her from the clutches of the Snow Queen. Melendy, 16, is fairly new to ballet but has become an accomplished dancer. He has just been accepted to the year-round ballet school at Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts in Connecticut, on a full scholarship.
“The hardest thing about ballet was getting used to the rigorous schedule that comes with wanting to be a professional,” Melendy said. “It slowly consumed my life, but it’s what I love!”
The young principals will be joined by dozens of dancers from the Conservatory’s elementary levels through advanced, including Angelica Griggs-Demmin and Natalie Anderson (The Frost Fairy and The Ice Princess); Olivia Cole, Elizabeth Eagles, Isabel Falls and Siobhan O’Reilly (The Four Winds); and Natalie Baker and Anika Ljung (The Snow Queen and The Firebird). Audiences will also be enchanted by the adorable Snow Drops and the other magical characters of in The Land of Snow.
Reserved seating tickets for 1 p.m. shows are available at the Sonoma Ballet Conservatory, Readers’ Books and the Sebastiani Theatre. Tickets are $22 for adults, $17 for students (I.D. required) and seniors (62+). 996-9756.
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