Dance company brings back locally crafted production

Ballet Yuma is putting the “Cat in the Hat” back in ballet slippers.

The local dance company is once again bringing “Ballet de Seuss” to the stage. The curtain on the locally choreographed production goes up at 7 p.m. Friday at Snider Auditorium, 400 S. 6th Ave.

Ballet Yuma company dancers, along with students from Yuma Ballet Academy, will share the stage to fill the many roles in “Ballet de Seuss.”

Inspired by the works of Dr. Seuss, and debuted in 2007, “Ballet de Seuss” brings to life much-loved characters and themes.

Choreographed by Co-Artistic Director Kathleen Sinclair and Artistic Assistant Emma M. K. Cong, the ballet's music is a collection of works by Kabalevsky, Prokofiev, Offenbach, Rimsky-Korsakov and Rossini. Its various scenes are introduced by a friendly feline raconteur.

In addition to “Ballet de Seuss,” the evening of dance will also feature three pieces presented by Ballet Yuma for its recent Regional Dance America adjudication. Those dance pieces are:

Choreographed by Jeffrey Gribler, with music by Johann Strauss, this piece will feature new, flowing tutus recently commissioned from Grant Spencer of GTLS Designs.

Artistic assistant and award-winning choreographer Emma M.K. Cong choreographed this piece to music by Ravi Shankar, based on a theme by Philip Glass.

“Momentum” is by Ashley Sass, a noted dancer, teacher and choreographer, who was brought to Yuma in January as a guest instructor. Sass helped develop this work for Ballet Yuma's company dancers. The music is by Arvo Pärt.

Reserved-seating tickets, available at Dillard's and at the door, are $10, $12, and $15, and there is a $4 discount for children 12 and under.

For information about “Ballet de Seuss,” contact Ballet Yuma's business office at 345-1534. For more information about the company, its programs and official school, go to www.BalletYuma.org.

Ballet Yuma, now in its 17th year under the direction of Jon Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair, is recognized nationally as one of the top pre-professional ballet companies in the country.

The dance company is Arizona's sole representative in Regional Dance America (RDA) as an “honor company.”

More than 20 Ballet Yuma graduates have gone on to dance professionally with highly regarded companies including San Francisco Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Houston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company, Boston Ballet, Ballet Memphis, Miami City Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, Les Ballet Trocadero de Monte Carlo, Trey McIntyre Project, Company C, Louisville Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Missouri Contemporary and Ballet Idaho.