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Balletmore presents the new children’s ballet, ‘The Lost Toyshop’
By Adrienne Warber
Photo Courtesy of Balletmore
If you are looking for a fun activity for the entire family, Balletmore Dance Studio’s “The Lost Toyshop” is a great option. The new ballet, performed by Balletmore’s Ensemble, will take the audience on a woodland adventure with three sisters. It is a delightful show for all ages, including young children. Balletmore Ensemble will perform “The Lost Toyshop” on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. at the Wealthy Theatre’s Peter Wege Auditorium.
Balletmore’s ‘The Lost Toyshop’
For a number of years, Balletmore Dance Studio presented a special one-hour-long version of “The Nutcracker” during the holiday season. Balletmore Artistic Director Melanie Anderson Brossiet decided to add a new ballet that would appeal to the whole family and provide some lively, fun dances for the Balletmore Ensemble cast. She commissioned an original ballet from Grand Valley State University alumni Sophia Ball and BelHaven University alumni Katie Van Klompenberg, who is also a Balletmore instructor.
The “The Lost Toyshop” features classical ballet technique. Ball and Van Klompenberg developed the casting and dances to showcase each ensemble dancers’ talents. Balletmore is known to work closely with each student to develop each dancer’s talent and voice. This special attention to detail and the student dancers’ love of dance is something that make Balletmore performances stand out. The cast ranges in ages from 6-18.
Fans of ballet, those new to dance and anyone who enjoys a good story should find something to enjoy at “The Lost Toyshop.” The story has adventure, mystery and magic. The audience will go on an adventure through the woods with four sisters, where they meet many intriguing woodland creatures, and find an abandoned toyshop filled with enchanted toys that come magically to life before their very eyes. The lively dances, colorful costumes and music will entertain audience members of all ages.
Balletmore Dance Studio and Ensemble
Melanie Anderson Brossiet founded Balletmore in 2003 after an eighteen year dance career. She graduated from the Interlochen Academy of Arts with high honors and then went on to dance professionally with Cleveland Ballet, Washington Ballet, Das Ballett Augsberg, and Chautauqa Ballet. She was also a principal dancer with Grand Rapids Ballet for a number of years. Brossiet worked with many of the leading names in the dance field, including Alonzo King, Suzanne Farrell and Lupe Serrano. Her professional dancing, choreographing, and personalized teaching style, have made Balletmore one of West Michigan’s leading ballet schools.
Balletmore is located in East Grands on Burton. The studio is known for personalized, dancer-focused training and small class sizes. The studio specializes in classical ballet, but also offers lyrical, contemporary classes for children and adults. Students can also audition each year for the Balletmore Ensemble, which provides additional performance opportunities and training. It is the Ballemore Ensemble that will perform “The Lost Toyshop.”
‘The Lost Toyshop’ Ticket and Showtime Information
Balletmore will perform “The Lost Toyshop” on Saturday, Feb. 11, at 6-7 p.m. at Wealth Theatre’s Peter Wege Auditorium at 1130 Wealthy St SE in Grand Rapids. Doors open at 5 pm. The ballet is one-hour-long. Tickets are $8 for children under 10 and $14 for adults. To purchase tickets, visit Wealthy Theatre’s website for online orders or call (616) 459-4788.