The Ridgefield School of Dance will present its 17th annual event “Afternoon of Dance”, with performances of ballet, modern and jazz at 3 p.m., Saturday, June 14, at the East Ridge Middle School in Ridgefield. Included are Coppelia, a ballet about a doll that comes to life, the Grand Pas Classique from the Ballet Paquita and Jazz “Mission: Dance!”
A guest artist, August Eaton from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts will dance the role of the French soldier, with whom the gypsy girl, Paquita, falls in love. The staging and choreography for Paquita is the work of the assistant ballet mistress, Jessica Boelts, and instructor Larissa Akinicheva.
All members of the ballet school, from youngest through the ballet company will be performing. Instructor Carey Barnes will perform the role of Dr. Coppelius. The three act ballet has been adapted and choreographed by the artistic director and ballet mistress, Nancy Baldwin Andrews, a resident of Redding, with additional choreography by ballet faculty members.
“The afternoon will be a wonderful dance experience,” says Ms. Andrews, director and owner of the private dance school. “Both ballets have an element of romance and, at times, are very, very funny. Children will enjoy the afternoon as much as adults.”