Ballet Co.Laboratory Performs THE LITTLE PRINCE This Month

If you have ever remarked how silly adults can be, the story of The Little Prince might resonate with you (and the children in your life). The culmination of Ballet Co.Laboratory’s 2023/24 performance season is based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella and will take place at E.M. Pearson Theatre in St. Paul from May 17-19, 2024. Despite turning 80 years old this season, the story of The Little Prince holds lessons and delights for a contemporary multigenerational audience.

“Choosing to perform The Little Prince was alluring to us for many reasons, including that learning with and from those of different generations is part of the cultural fabric of Ballet Co.Laboratory,” shares Ballet Co.Laboratory Artistic Director and Choreographer Zoé Emilie Henrot. “On any given day in Our Studios, you will find dancers from toddlers to octogenarians inspiring each other.” The performance, too, features not only the professional Company dancers of Ballet Co.Laboratory, but dancers as young as age six from The School of Ballet Co.Laboratory’s Pre-Professional Program, and adult dancers in the organization’s unique Adult Performance Ensemble. “We believe performance is the pinnacle of dance education, and everyone should get the opportunity to be a part of that,” says Managing Director Rachel Koep.

The Little Prince portrays the magical journey of a young prince from a distant planet as they discover the mysteries of life, love, and friendship. Henrot also frames the story around the Aviator, who acts as a narrator. Adults and children alike will see themselves in the Aviator, who yearns for imagination and creativity in an often mundane and repetitive society. As the Little Prince meets characters from various planets, audiences begin to see a pattern emerge – that the things adults think are important may simply be a distraction from what actually holds value in our lives.

Even if you are not familiar with the story of The Little Prince, you may still recognize some of the music Henrot has chosen, all selections from the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Excerpts from notable works like The Carnival of the Animals and Danse Macabre are included, in addition to lesser-known works that highlight eccentric characters like the Star Collector and the Lamplighters.

As timeless literature takes center stage, Ballet Co.Laboratory unveils a new School Matinee Program, where schoolchildren take a field trip to attend a performance. Participating schools receive greatly discounted tickets, teacher resources that connect the production to classroom curriculum, and a Q-and-A session with dancers at the end of the show. Schools interested in bringing groups of students can contact Outreach Manager Sage Engle-Laird to enroll (details below).

While there is a lot to unpack in Saint-Exupéry’s text, Ballet Co.Laboratory’s production reminds audiences not to take themselves too seriously. In an amusing nod to our capital city in which the production will be performed, Ballet Co.Laboratory has renamed the Little Prince’s Asteroid B-651, instead of the original Asteroid B-612 (sorry, Minneapolis). Ultimately though, The Little Prince reminds us that numbers are not really what is important – in fact, “it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” (The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)

 

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