Every year, the ballet program chooses a children’s novel to create a ballet adaptation of. This year, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ by L. Frank Baum was the chosen production. The performances were held on Friday, May 9 at 7p.m. and Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m.
There are many important roles in this production. Dorothy was played by Brenna Quigg; the Lion was played by Molly Freeburger, the Tin Man was played by Elise Moran, and the Scarecrow was played by Natalie Barton.
For the show to succeed, there is a ton of dedication required. There were auditions held for the roles. The dancers must provide their availability as many of the lead roles require evening rehearsals for months.
With a mix of skill and dedication, the roles for the play are decided.
Something that makes this play special is that this play can accommodate roles for all ages. There was even a five-year-old within this year’s production.
The play was on point between the choreography, costumes, smoke machine, special animations, music, and everything in between.
Sophomore, Aubrey Zerhusen said, “My favorite part of this performance was meeting new people and bonding with the freshmen in the dance program.”
The play stood out because of its classic story and the ability to appeal to all ages.
College Preparatory Dance Program Director Laura Ward-Moran said, “I feel everyone left the show having appreciated it and enjoyed it.”
This was the first time the ballet program has performed The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and it was performed to a very high standard.
Both Mrs. Ward-Moran and Aubrey believe there is nothing that could have been changed about this performance.
Mrs. Ward-Moran said, “I am most proud of the quality of the production, along with the artistic integrity of the work. However, what means the most to me is that each dancer had a wonderful time, was having fun, and grew their skill set throughout the process. I like to see them finish a show stronger than when they started it, and each of them did.”
The quality and the overall performance set this production apart from many other productions and is believed to be one of the best performances in the Dance Program by both the dancers and Mrs. Ward-Moran.
