Kirsten Hyde is Titania and Avery Tisdale is Bottom in the Chattanooga Ballet production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” to be presented in two performances this weekend.If you go
› What: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Chattanooga Ballet.› When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 6-7.› Where: UTC Fine Arts Center, 752 Vine St.› Admission: $16 adults, $13 seniors, children and students.› Phone: 423-425-4269.› Website: www.tickettracks.com.
Chattanooga Ballet will present its premiere of Joellen Wojtowicz’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and new works by Jennifer Drake and Jennia Shanley in two performances this weekend.
Wojtowicz is Chattanooga Ballet’s school and outreach director. She has adapted into ballet William Shakespeare’s enchanting tale of star-crossed lovers, mischievous fairies, royalty of the woodlands and fumbling humans. Choreographed to a score by Felix Mendelssohn, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” features 58 dancers and elaborate costumes created by resident designer Kim Tisdale.
“I’ve always been intrigued with the storyline of Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ from my first introduction to it at summer dance camp as a child to my teenage years when I worked with my high school English teacher on how Shakespeare’s words could be brought to dance,” Wojtowicz says.
Working with the dancers, costume designer and general director Bob Willie “has been a wonderful yearlong experience,” she says.
Dancing the role of Titania will be Kirsten Hyde with guest artist Christopher Durham as Oberon. The young lovers will be danced by professional company members Samantha Sole, Caroline Blair, Dillon Davis and guest artist Diamond Lagrave. Skip Cisto will dance the role of Egeus, and mischievous fairy Puck will be danced by Ashley Tisdale.
Also on this concert are new works commissioned by Chattanooga Ballet to provide support for the work of Tennessee choreographers. Jennifer Drake’s “Ballet A La Mode” is a contemporary work that puts a new spin on such classics as “Swan Lake,” “Carnival of the Animals” and “Les Sylphide.” Its three movements are danced to compositions by Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens and Chopin. Drake is artistic director of the Dancer Project based in Nashville.
Shanley, a Chattanooga native, serves on the dance faculty at the Baylor School and owns Ascension Dance, which brings dance education to early childhood learning centers. Her contemporary work “The Path” is danced to music by Olagur Arnalds and Alice Smart Ott.
Shanley and Chattanooga Ballet’s children’s company director, Karen Smith, collaborated on a work for the young troupe. “Spring Jubilee” is set to music by Antonia Vivaldi.