Blackbird Academy dancers to present Peter Pan the Ballet

Tinker Bell, back, portrayed by Abby Woods, watches as Peter Pan, from left, played by Rebecca Dillon, leads the Darling children — Wendy, portrayed by Maria Casavechia; John, played by Riley Cecil; and Michael, portrayed by Mary Caroline Grimes — to Neverland. The familiar characters will take the stage Saturday as Blackbird Academy presents Peter Pan the Ballet at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
Tinker Bell, back, portrayed by Abby Woods, watches as Peter Pan, from left, played by Rebecca Dillon, leads the Darling children — Wendy, portrayed by Maria Casavechia; John, played by Riley Cecil; and Michael, portrayed by Mary Caroline Grimes — to Neverland. The familiar characters will take the stage Saturday as Blackbird Academy presents Peter Pan the Ballet at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

CONWAY — Peter Pan and Tinker Bell will lead the audience to Neverland as Blackbird Academy presents Peter Pan the Ballet at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. Curtain times will be at 7 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Jan. 28.

Tickets range in price from $7 to $20 and may be purchased at www.blackbirdacaemy.org.

Following the Jan. 28 performance, a Tinkerbell Tea Party will he held at approximately 4 p.m. in the upstairs lobby of Reynolds Performance Hall. Tickets are $10 and can also be purchased online. Attendees will be served refreshments, meet the cast of the ballet, play games and have pictures taken with their favorite characters.

The local production of Peter Pan the Ballet is based on the novel by Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie.

“It’s the basic story of Peter Pan,” said Megan Hustel of Little Rock, choreographer, along with Paul Tillman, also of Little Rock. “You’ll see all the famous characters.”

Hustel and Tillman are both on the faculty of Blackbird Academy and of Ballet Arkansas in Little Rock.

Tillman, who also designed the sets for the production, said they “started with Barrie’s story of Peter Pan and found music we could use to choreograph the ballet.”

The music was composed by Carmon DeLeone, music director of the Cincinnati Ballet and the Middletown (Ohio) Symphony and conductor laureate of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra.

Blackbird Academy faculty member Madison Wilson of Morrilton is the performance director. Hannah Bradshaw of Little Rock is the costume director, and Lynsie Ogden, also of Little Rock, will direct lights and sound; both are members of Ballet Arkansas.

Rebecca Dillon of Conway, 14 and a student at Conway Junior High School, will dance the role of Peter Pan.

Abby Woods, also 14 and a student at Conway Junior High School, will dance the role of Tinker Bell.

Toby Lewellen of Little Rock, a dancer and instructor with Ballet Arkansas, will dance the roles of Captain Hook and Mr. Darling. This marks Lewellen’s first appearance with Blackbird Academy.

Dancing the roles of the children in the Darling family will be Maria Casavechia of Conway, 16 and a student at St. Joseph High School, as Wendy; Mary Caroline Grimes of Conway, 11 and a student at Carl Stuart Middle School, as Michael; and Riley Cecil, 12 and a student at Carl Stuart Middle School, as John.

Additional members of the cast include Anna Kate Saxton of Conway as Nana; Grace Harris of Conway as Mrs. Darling

and Tiger Lily; and Elisabeth Bartholomew of Conway as Peter’s shadow and a pirate.

Appearing as lead pirates are Elizabeth Ablondi of Conway and Katie Huett of Greenbrier. Additional pirates include Alison Cecil of Conway and Jay Parrish of Vilonia.

Emma Page of Conway appears as the crocodile and as a Lost Boy.

Appearing as lead Lost Boys are Anna Grace Britt and Emmalee Dillon, both of Conway. Additional Lost Boys include Olivia Lipscomb, Anna Kate Saxton and Ashlyn Hollis, all of Conway, and Lauren Koch of North Little Rock.

Indian maidens are Annabel Spayde of Conway and Alex Rivera of Mayflower.

Lead Indian princesses are Reilly McCann of Maumelle; Katie Grace King and Lauren Goforth, both of Conway; and Sydney Huff of Vilonia. Additional Indian princesses are Megan Arnold, Carly Vint, Jillian Hede, Marleigh King, Zoe Ryken, Eliza Counts, Magnolia Smyers, Jenna Hofherr, Anneliese Cormier, Zoe Falkner, Alaina Cupp, Caitlyn Sprague and Toby Tinsley, all of Conway; and Hannah Williamson of Enola.

In addition to the two public performances, Blackbird Academy will present the ballet Friday morning to several hundred schoolchildren free of charge.

“We have reservations for 766 students and teachers,” said Ann Turney of Conway, director of development at Blackbird Academy. “That is for 16 home-school groups that will have 279 attendees and six public schools that will have 487 attendees.”

Turney said teaching tools would be provided to participating schools, including educational material about ballet and theater productions, as well as classroom activity guides that relate the stories to state library standards.

Blackbird Academy of Arts is a not-for-profit organization that provides classes, workshops and scholarships for all ages in both visual and performing arts. For more information, call (501) 326-8200 or visit www.blackbirdacademy.org.

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