About The Little Prince
The Little Prince, based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is a story about life, relationships, and matters of great importance. A Pilot relates the story of the time he crashed in the desert and made the acquaintance of the Little Prince, a visitor from a tiny planet who left his home to add to his knowledge and to learn how to care for his most prized possession, a beautiful rose.
During his travels, the Little Prince interacts with many different grown-ups, whose behavior and priorities baffle him. These grown-ups are consumed by what they consider to be matters of consequence - ruling, owning, following orders, searching for a happiness that always eludes them. When he arrives on Earth, he tames a Fox who tells him the great secret: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye."
Spokane Youth Ballet's production features original choreography by Phaedra Jarrett set to music by Steve Reich, Peter Gabriel, and other artists, as well as by the local group Musha Marimba, who will perform at the 6:00 pm show. The ballet features over 40 local dance students.
About La Boutique Fantasque
La Boutique Fantasque (The Magic Toyshop) is a early 20th-century ballet originally created by Léonide Massine and André Derain and performed by the Ballets Ruses in London.
The story takes place entirely in a Parisian toy shop full of lifelike dancing dolls. Unbeknownst to the shopkeeper, however, these dolls are really alive and have their own secret life at night when the store is closed. When two families arrive at the shop and threaten the happiness of the Can-can couple, the dolls come together to devise a plan to keep these dolls together.
With music by Ottorino Respighi (based on piano pieces by Gioachino Rossini) and featuring original choreography by Naomi Hanvey and Kristen Potts, this lighthearted and colorful ballet is is both funny and heartwarming. This ballet is presented by students of the Academy of Dance.
