Imagine Ballet Theater Presents Raymond Van Mason's FAIRYOPOLIS, 4/28-29

Imagine Ballet Theatre, an Ogden-based ballet company, is bringing spring to the stage of Peery's Egyptian Theatre, with their whimsical new production of Fairyopolis on April 28 and 29, 2017. Choreography by Artistic Director Raymond Van Mason and the magical score composed by Felix Mendelssohn will have live accompaniment by Chamber Orchestra Ogden under the direction of Dr. Michael Palumbo, The story is loosely based off the books How to find Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker.

Fairyopolis

Twilla was a lonely girl looking for meaning in the dreary gray world she lived in. One day as she was out looking for butterflies she happened upon a garden full of beautiful lilacs, hydrangeas, poppies and peonies. As she wandered through the flowers gazing upon them with utter amazement at their beauty, the flower fairies that lived among them saw Twilla's innocent heart and decided to show themselves to her.

Many flowers have useful functions for fairies. Some use them as secure hiding places for precious objects such as stores of magical dust. Each of the fairies in the garden wanted to share something special with Twilla.

The Lilac Fairies started first by showing Twilla the true meaning of friendship. Using their very special way, they gave Twilla the ability to make friends as well as be a friend to others.

The Hydrangea Fairies spent their time with Twilla showing her how listening with more than just ears can endow her with great gifts of wisdom that she can share with others as well.

The Poppy Fairies showered her with the knowledge of how dance can bring joy within oneself as well as bringing joy to others through beauty.

The Peony Fairies enveloped Twilla with love. This love is the love of ages and Twilla learned that underneath all, there is love. Such a foundation of love causes love to grow in all persons and places.

The fairies bring Twilla to the Twilight ball where they dance and dance until they are all exhausted. As they languish, the Dew Drop Fairy brings her dew droplets of light to refresh them, invigorating them to continue with growth and life.

Twilla is brought to life by a young dancer, Ann Umbrell (an IBT company dancer since 2015).

Other key roles will be danced by Tessa Parkinson (2003), Ashley Beckwith (2012) and Sara Huffaker (2015) the Lilac Fairies, Sonya Kryzhanovsky (2011) the Hydrangea Fairy, Rachel Lang (2015) the Poppy Fairy and Alison Umbrell (2012) the Peony Fairy Guest artist, Christina Stockdale, Imagine Ballet Theatre Faculty Member and former Nevada Ballet Theater dancer, will fill the stage as the graceful Dew Drop Fairy.

Performance times are April 28, 29 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee performance on April 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets range in price from $15 to $29 and are available through Peery's Egyptian Theater, with box office hours Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2415 Washington Blvd, Ogden; by telephone at (801)689-8700; or at Smithtix atwww.smithtix.com

Raymond Van Mason created Imagine Ballet Theatre in 2004 to offer the company of dancers, unique opportunities to work with professional artists and to foster professional performing experiences. This summer Imagine Ballet Theatre will be hosting one such unique opportunity through a Bournonville Workshop with Masters, bringing talented teachers from all over Europe to educate dancers. Imagine Ballet Theatre has been recognized with the 2005 Utah Best of State Award for Best Children's Performing Group as well as the Judy G. Mayer Award for Small Groups for their performance in Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival in Palm Desert, CA. Dancers from Imagine Ballet Theatre have received recognition and scholarships from prestigious ballet companies across the nation such as American Ballet Theatre in New York City, Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, The Rock for Dance Education in Pennsylvania, The Joffrey Ballet in New York City, and many others.

In additional to being the Founder and Artistic Director of Imagine Ballet Theatre, Van Mason is a celebrated choreographer, artist, and master ballet teacher. His choreography has been performed by numerous companies including Ballet West, Ballet Pacifica, and Ballet GranDiva. Before forming Imagine Ballet Theatre, Van Mason danced as a principal artist with Ballet West. His noted roles include leading roles in Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and Giselle. Mason holds a BFA in Ballet from The University of Utah.

Michael A. Palumbo retired in 2013 as Professor Emeritus of Music from Weber State University, where he taught for thirty-one years. At WSU he was the Director of Orchestral Studies and Professor of Viola. From 1997 through 2007 he also served as the Chair of the Department of Performing Arts.

He is currently Music Director and Conductor of Chamber Orchestra Ogden a paid, semi-professional level community-based orchestra, members of which are playing for this performance.

Michael is a former national secretary of the American String Teachers Association, and founding president of the Utah Viola Society. Since 2012 he has been President of Local 104, American Federation of Musicians, and in 2014 he was elected as President-Elect of the American Viola Society. He is an active performing violist and guest conductor, and also adjudicates on a regular basis.

For recreation Michael likes to take motorcycle trips with his wife, travel, see family, make wine and beer, and play jazz and blues at several local clubs. He also spends a lot of time writing grant proposals to help support Chamber Orchestra Ogden.

Christina Stockdale Guest Artist
Christina Stockdale started dancing at age 5, she received her training from The Rock School of the Pennsylvania Ballet and the Academy of International Ballet in Philadelphia where she trained under many renowned teachers including: Anastasia Babayeva, Natasha Bar, Jeffrey Gribler, Denis Gronostayskiy, Christopher Fleming, Benjamin Millepied, Bojan and Stephanie Spassoff, Violette Verdy and Maria Yousekevitch. After graduating high school Ms. Stockdale was offered a position as a company dancer in Manassas Ballet Theatre in Virginia.

After two years with the company Ms. Stockdale decided to move across the country to Seattle to dance for Ballet Bellevue. While living in the Pacific Northwest she guested with many companies including Northwest Ballet, Katy Hagelin Dance Project and Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann Presents.

In 2011, Ms. Stockdale was offered a job with Nevada Ballet Theatre in Las Vegas so she packed up and moved to Vegas! After dancing with NBT she then decided to explore other dancing opportunities.

Currently Ms. Stockdale is Dance Captain at the longest running show on the Las Vegas Strip: Tournament of Kings where she dances ten performances per week. She continues to guest perform with companies all over the country including: Ballet Bellevue in Seattle, the Dance in the Desert Festival in Las Vegas, Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann Presents in Seattle as well as Imagine Ballet Theatre, and has been able to dance with Cirque du Soleil, perform in the Paul Mitchell The Gathering show, the Redken Symposium and many other great opportunities in Las Vegas.

Some of Ms. Stockdale's featured roles include: Mina in Dracula, Myrtha in Giselle, The Butterfly in Midsummer Night's Dream, Lilac Fairy and Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and various roles in Coppelia, The Nutcracker, Paquita and Balanchine's Serenade, and contemporary works by James Canfield, Stacy Lowenberg, Kabby Mitchell III, Jennifer Porter, Angela Sterling, Ronn Tice and many others.

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