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SALT LAKE CITY — Families can see characters from the classic story of "The Little Mermaid" come to life through dance with Ballet West.
The production is part of Ballet West's Family series, which was created to allow families with younger children enjoy ballet. "The Little Mermaid" runs from Friday to Sunday at the Janet Quinney Lawson Capitol Theatre at 50 W. 200 South.
“It’s a really great way for the entire family to enjoy ballet together and for little ones to get used to the art form and understand what is going on,” said artistic director Adam Sklute. “It is wonderfully visual, with great costumes and a great set. It’s funny, it’s moving, it’s exciting and it's a fairytale story they all recognize.”
This is the second time Ballet West has performed "The Little Mermaid." The company premiered the production when it first introduced its family series in 2012. Sklute said the first production of "The Little Mermaid" was so successful that they decided to bring it back.
You can see in the undersea kingdom not only mermaids but dancers dressed as dolphins and fish of all kinds.
–Adam Sklute
Because it is designed for families, the ballet lasts one hour and 15 minutes, with one intermission. A narrator on stage will tell Hans Christian Anderson’s version of the "Little Mermaid" while the dancers show the emotions of the characters.
“You can see in the undersea kingdom not only mermaids but dancers dressed as dolphins and fish of all kinds, crabs — it’s really quite fanciful and fun,” he said “We have a boat that goes sailing across the stage in a really unique way to create the water using fabric.”
Tickets prices range from $15-$35 and can be purchased online or by calling 801-355-ARTS. There are showings at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The following week, Ballet West will be performing the world premiere of its original adaptation of "The Rite of Spring" in celebration of the ballet's 100th anniversary. It will run from April 11 to 19.
