Whether it's stage fright or fire-breathing dragons, conquering fear is what Colorado Ballet Association is all about this weekend.
The ballet school will perform “There May Be a Dragon” at Falcon High School on Saturday and Sunday. The school's elementary department will perform the show, which will feature student dancers ages 2 to 10.
“We're really happy with our dance students at this age. They're so passionate, they love dancing, and they love performing for other people,” said Amy Schaefer, the school's elementary division manager. Ta.
This ballet tells the story of a pageant who is given a mission by a princess to cross an enchanted forest and deliver a gift to another kingdom. Accompanied by a knight, the pageant confronts mythical creatures in the forest and must overcome his fear as the knight teaches him coping skills.
Near the end, the two come face-to-face with a dragon, but not everything is as it seems.
“The actual dragon was much smaller than it first looked and wasn't as scary as we thought. She befriends the dragon and they continue their journey,” Schaefer said. “They finally manage to deliver their birthday presents safely and realize that even when they are scared, they can do great things and don’t have to give up.”
Working with young students was a highlight for Schaefer.
“When you work with them at this age, they really get big smiles. That's very rewarding for us as teachers. It's so new for them to be on stage, so we “We need to be really prepared and have all our ducks in a row and make sure their experience is a really positive one,” she said. “We are doing everything we can to support them and build a foothold in their training so that they are well prepared.”
With about 200 students participating in the four performances, Schaefer has been working on the production for nearly 18 months and is looking forward to seeing the results.
“We hope that the audience will deeply appreciate the value of dance in children's lives. Of course we are a little biased, but we think that art and dance in particular are very beneficial for young people ” she said. “Not only do they learn physical training, they learn mental preparation, and they also learn social-emotional skills like perseverance. This show inspires viewers to develop those skills in life.” I hope so.”