Dallas Arts鈥疢onth, the鈥痗ity-wide celebration that鈥痵howcases鈥痶he city's vibrant arts and culture鈥痵cene,鈥痠s in full swing.鈥��
The month-long event is a great reminder that we have a whole city of visual,鈥痬usical鈥痑nd performing arts just waiting to be explored. With that in mind,鈥痭ow is鈥痶he perfect opportunity to take a leap and try something new.鈥�
鈥疉nd speaking of leaping (pun fully intended), Ballet North Texas鈥痠s鈥痚mbracing the month with the help of a fairy godmother and a glass slipper.鈥�疘ts production of the classic ballet "Cinderella" is coming to Moody Performance Hall this month.鈥�
四虎影院鈥檚 Alexsis Jones and I paid a visit to the studio a few weeks ago to see firsthand how the art of dance plays into Dallas Arts Month.鈥���
The company was bustling about with costume fittings, final rehearsals and photo shoots, and in the middle of it all was Nicolina鈥疞awson, artistic director and founder of Ballet North Texas.鈥��
Lawson, who founded the company back in 2017, has been dancing her whole life.
鈥淢y mom was a dancer, so鈥疘'm鈥痯retty sure鈥疘 was dancing in the womb,鈥� Lawson laughed. 鈥淎nd then grew up in the studio.鈥濃���
But it isn鈥檛 just dance. Lawson鈥檚 involvement with the arts goes deep. She also played an instrument, and her grandfather was a conductor.
"The arts have just always been a big part of my life," Lawson said. "I think arts month is important because it exposes the arts to people that maybe don't have that in their daily lives and I think it's a way for us to share what we do on a bigger platform."
GIVE BALLET A WHIRL
Lawson is hoping Ballet North Texas鈥� production of the fairytale ballet will draw audiences in for Dallas Arts Month, not only because of romance and the familiar story of the girl with the glass shoe, but also because--well,鈥痠t's鈥痑 good time.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥痮ffers that comic relief with the stepsisters and the mom, and鈥痶here are some other funny elements that happen,鈥� Lawson said. 鈥淚t鈥痥ind of reaches鈥痑 little bit of鈥痑ll of鈥痶hose emotions, and that I think is something that is relatable for most people.鈥濃��
Because there is no dialogue, ballet can sometimes be intimidating--especially if鈥痽ou've鈥痭ever been to one. If鈥痽ou're鈥痺atching a ballet that tells a story, like Cinderella, Lawson says you should鈥痠dentify鈥痶he characters and then let the story build freely in your mind.鈥��
鈥淚 think鈥痺hat's鈥痷nique about ballet specifically is, because鈥痺e're鈥痭ot using鈥痺ords, there's鈥痭othing literal about it,鈥� Lawson said鈥�
鈥淭here might be a scene where somebody thinks鈥痠t's鈥痟ilarious and鈥痑nother person might think, 鈥榃ow, that鈥痵tepsister is awfully mean.鈥欌�疭o,鈥疘 think鈥痩etting鈥痽our own interpretation of what鈥痽ou're鈥痺atching is incredibly valuable as a patron.鈥濃���
FINDING CINDERELLA
Alexis鈥疊reen,鈥痺ho plays鈥疌inderella,鈥痵ays the most surprising thing that audiences will find at this ballet is the range of emotion for the title character.鈥��
She is a very deep character, but鈥痠t's鈥痙elicate in the way you portray her,鈥� Breen explains. 鈥淭hat's鈥痵omething that鈥疘'm鈥痳eally working on. You鈥痗an't鈥痡ust be super extroverted with how鈥痽ou're鈥痝oing鈥痶o play Cinderella. You鈥痟ave to鈥痶ake a step back and almost internalize the feelings so they鈥痗an be shown to the audience.鈥濃���
CHALAMET SHMALOMET
Now we鈥痗an't鈥痶alk about ballet without mentioning the elephant in the room--and that is鈥疶imoth茅e Chalamet鈥檚 鈥痳emark about no one caring about ballet or opera anymore. Assistant Artistic Director Cindy Michaels has an interesting take on a live performance vs. watching a movie.鈥��
鈥淚n a movie, the director decides where your attention is going to go by directing the camera, so at any given鈥痶ime鈥痽ou're鈥痮nly looking at what the director wants you to see,鈥� Michaels said. 鈥淚n a live鈥痯erformance,鈥痠t's the people on stage telling the story and鈥痟aving to鈥痙raw the audience's attention to them. And then with our mime and our gestures, we鈥痟ave to鈥痟old them long enough for the audience to understand鈥痺hat's鈥痓eing said. There is no help that they鈥痳eceive鈥痑nd鈥痶here are鈥痭o retakes.鈥濃���
In the end, ballet is about inviting the audience into your story. Breen describes it like this in a very Cinderella-like way.鈥�
鈥淭his is something that everyone should feel comfortable and welcome to,鈥� Breen said.
Breen said the goal is to really excite people from all walks of life and all generations.
鈥淚鈥痺ant to鈥痵ee kids in the audience. I want鈥痶o see鈥痜amilies coming to the show because鈥痶hat's鈥痺hy I do it, and鈥痶hat's鈥痵o鈥痬any of鈥痷s鈥痙o it, is to send the message to the next generation.鈥�
Performances of Ballet North Texas鈥� production of Cinderella are on Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m. at Moody Performance Hall in Dallas. There is also a sensory-friendly matinee on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m.
You can also catch these dance performances during Dallas Arts Month.
- April 3 & 4, Kalita Humphreys Theater
- April 17 & 18, at Moody Performance Hall
- April 18 at Winspear Opera House
