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From The Northern Star
Haley Galvin | Entertainment Writer Mar 22, 2018
Becky Baert poses as Ariel from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” as she danced her story at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St
The Beth Fowler Dance Company, 3720 Illinois Ave. St. Charles, presented a magical performance of “A Storybook Ballet” at the Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., Sunday night, performed with grace and beauty from each of the dancers.
The performance included elegant dancing to weave together the adapted stories of “Snow White,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” The larger story was depicted entirely through ballet dances pieced together to tell the miniature fairytales as the dreamland a young girl finds herself in.
Each of the characters fit their roles perfectly such as faculty company dancer Lydia Carpenter who played The Evil Queen from “Snow White.” Carpenter enhanced her role with devilish facial expressions and sharp delivery of her lines.
“The ballet was a magical piece and created a true once upon a time experience.”
Haley Galvin
Entertainment Writer
The entire company used clean techniques in each aspect of their dancing such as the pad de deux, a duet of two dancers which often includes pirouettes, or turns on one leg with the other raised to the knee.
The dance also included stellar fouettes which are turns involving a quick whipping motion of one leg to pull the dancer into a pirouette. These are just a few examples of the marvelously executed skills which elevated the level of the performance, making it more captivating and believable.
Even the small children who played the forest animals in “Snow White” and “Beauty and the Beast” had remarkable talent in the execution of their jumps and turns, as well as uniformity among each small group of dancers.
Out of all the stories, “The Little Mermaid” stood out above the rest because of the flow of the story and the chemistry of the dancers. Since the story was a shortened version, parts from the original were left out such as Ariel’s time on land with Eric and Ursula stealing her voice. Despite this, the story was still as beautiful and timeless as the original version.
The chemistry between Ariel, played by company dancer Becky Baert, and Prince Eric, played by dancer Wade Tischhauser, was evident on stage and showed in their dancing. They fed off one another’s passion and danced together effortlessly, the connection between the two made their dancing entrancing to watch.
Choreographers Beth Fowler, Sam Gaul, Miranda Cordes and Hannah Bohn created an intricate piece, displaying their skill at their craft which was highlighted through the dancers’ portrayal of the work. They put together remarkable dances ranging from intimate partner work to large stage numbers. Each piece flowed together with ease, and the dancers’ execution made the stories come to life.
The Beth Fowler Dance Company brought the storybooks to the stage with excellent ballet dancers and choreographers, making the audience feel like a kid again. The ballet was a magical piece and created a true once upon a time experience.
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