Centenary Stage Company to Welcome NJ Civic Youth Ballet for Double-Feature, 6/5

The Centenary Stage Company will host the NJ Civic Youth Ballet's double-feature afternoon of ballet with "The Tales of Beatrix Potter" and "Coppelia" on Sunday, June 5 at 4 PM in the Lackland Center for the Performing Arts on Grand Ave. in Hackettstown.

With a cornucopia of Potter's timeless characters and tales, the company brings to life the story of Peter Rabbit and his great misfortune when Farmer McGregor catches him in the cabbage patch. The antic Sly Fox attempts to convince Jemima Puddle Duck to give him her eggs for breakfast, and a charming summer picnic of little mice is soon disrupted by two troublemakers who invade the basket of goodies, creating havoc and humor . The role of Sly Fox is danced by Vitaly Verterich, formerly of the Russian Chamber Ballet Theater, Riverdance on Broadway, and the New Jersey Ballet Company as a soloist.

Making its debut performance as part of the event is the well-loved ballet Coppelia. Second only to Nutcracker, Coppelia is often hailed as one of the greatest comic ballets of the 19th Century. The story features a budding romance between two villagers, Franz and Swanilda, alongside the curious workings of their eccentric neighbor Dr. Coppelius, a mad inventor who has taken to creating life-like automatons. Infatuated by the sight of the inventor's new doll, Franz sneaks into Dr. Coppelius' workshop, and mayhem, fun, and laughter ensues.

Guest artists for this performance include Narek Martirosyan, performing the role of Dr. Coppelius. Martirosyan's credits include the Armenian National Ballet Theatre and former principal with The Israel Ballet and New Jersey Ballet Company. Dancing the role of Franz is Leonid Flegmatov who is a graduate from the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. Mr. Flegmatov has performed with The Miami City Ballet, Columbia Classical Ballet, International Ballet Theater, Grand Rapids Ballet, and the New Jersey Ballet.

Tickets for the performance are $22 for orchestra and $20 for balcony, and they can be purchased through the NJ Civic Youth Ballet at 908-850-0709. Visit the NJCYB website for additional information, www.njcyb.org.

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