Imagine Ballet Theatre Announces Spring Repertory Program

Imagine Ballet Theatre, an Ogden-based ballet company, is bringing spring to the stage of Peery's Egyptian Theatre, with their whimsical production of Fairyopolis, Mad Rush, Bartok Dances and a special performance by PALS on April 27and 28, 2018. 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 Gabriel Gordon, 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) and Elle Erling (IBT company dancer since 2017). Other Key roles will be danced by Tessa Parkinson (2003), Ashley Beckwith (2012) and Meili Morris (2017) the Lilac Fairies, Sonya Kryzhanovsky (2011) the Hydrangea Fairy, Rachel Lang (2015) the Poppy Fairy and Alsion 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.

Mad Rush is a ballet about Bullying in the dance world with choreography by Raymond Van Mason and is danced to the music of Philip Glass which will be played by pianist Nicholas Maughan. This ballet had its IBT Premiere in 2013.

Bartok Dances, a ballet based on Romanian Folk Dances and the art of Match Making, Choreography by Raymond Van Mason with score by Bella Bartok and being played by Nicholas Maughan and Cellist Austin Packer.

PALS dancers with special needs will also perform in this program piece still to be determined under the direction of Noelle Shaw.

Performance times are April 27, 28 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee performance on April 28 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 at www.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.

Gabriel Gordon has enjoyed a varied career conducting professional, community and youth orchestras for 16 years. He made his professional conducting debut with the Orchestra of St. Peter by the Sea in 1998, and soon after formed the Chamber Orchestra at Tower Hill. He also worked as Conductor of the Greater Newark Youth Orchestra, as well as the Independence Sinfonia and the Old York Road Symphony. Recently, Mr. Gordon guest conducted the Santa Fe Symphony and Chatter, a Chamber Ensemble, and in January of 2014 he conducted the All-State Orchestra in Oklahoma City.

As a violinist, Gabriel studied with Eugene Drucker and Jascha Brodsky, and has performed for 30 years with many orchestras such as the American Symphony, Philomusica New York, the Santa Fe Symphony, and the New Mexico Philharmonic. Mr. Gordon is a founding member of the Daponte String Quartet, and Trio Excelsior!, and has enjoyed performing on many Chamber Music series in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maine, and New Mexico.

Gabriel served as conductor of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony since 2007, leading the orchestra in tours to Chicago, Australia, Austria, and in 2014 to Carnegie Hall in New York City. In August of 2013, The Santa Fe Opera and The Albuquerque Youth Symphony collaborated in a fully staged production of the opera Noah's Flood by Benjamin Britten with Mr. Gordon as the conductor to wide acclaim.

As Music Director of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program from 2009-2014, Mr. Gordon presided over the purchase of a rehearsal facility, and a subsequent expansion that nearly doubled the ensembles in the program including choral ensembles, a guitar ensemble, a third high school orchestra, and a training ensemble for students who wish to become professional musicians. Mr. Gordon also initiated and taught several conducting workshops for teachers, becoming a mentor for the Music Educators of Albuquerque.

In 2015, Mr. Gordon became Artistic Director of NEXT Ensemble - a new and unique group with a concert series in Ogden, conductor of the Davis Youth Symphony, and is also a violinist with Chamber Orchestra Ogden, and the New American Philharmonic.

Originally from New York City, Gabriel studied with some of the great luminaries of conducting including Kenneth Kiesler, Gustav Meier, Harold Farberman, David Gilbert, and Jonathan Strasser.

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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