Meet the Resident Choreographer!

Beltrami Photography

Jennifer Henderson, the Resident Choreographer, or Maker of Magic, for City Center Ballet, is the brains behind a lot of the beauty that happens on stage. Jennifer began choreographing with City Center Ballet in 2008 when she choreographed City Center Ballet's production of Cinderella. Since then Jennifer has added Clara's Dream- a nutcracker story and Coppélia to her repertoire.  In 2013 Jennifer also undertook setting Giselle, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa, on the City Center Ballet Company.

Jennifer's choreography is beautiful to watch, it is clear that every phrase is carefully planned to build on the previous phrase.  Dancers move seamlessly from one formation to another.  Larger group pieces are full of "wow"moments.  It is clear that in planning choreography Jennifer has a clear view of the big picture.

In Clara's Dream- a nutcracker story watch for moments in Snow and Waltz of the Flowers where it becomes clear that these classic Corps de Ballet pieces were carefully planned to give the illusion of a swirling snow shower or flower petals blowing through a meadow. All 8-10 dancers suddenly appear on stage in a pattern, which transforms before your eyes into something completely different in a few seamless counts in the music.  In fact, these stunning transitions often yield a round of applause from the audience. To get the best view of this careful pattern planning, pick a seat near the front and center of the balcony.

Tickets for Clara's Dream- a nutcracker story can be purchased on the Lebanon Opera House website  or by calling the Box Office at (603)448-0400.  Read this post for information on group ticket pricing. Get your tickets soon for preferred seating!

We're a Hoot!

Actually, City Center Ballet has won The Complete Hoot's Owl Award for "Outstanding Community Dance Performances" for their 2012-2013 Season performances of Clara's Dream-a nutcracker story and Giselle.  Congratulations to the cast and crew of both these outstanding productions!

The Complete Hoot's Awards ceremony was on Sunday, October 20th in White River Junction, VT.  They gave awards to several local arts organizations in the Vermont and New Hampshire Upper Valley Region. Awards were given in almost 30 categories spanning Music, Theater, Dance, Art, and Community Outreach.  City Center Ballet is honored to have won the award for Community Dance Performances for the fourth year in a row and to be honored among so many outstanding arts organizations in the community.

Here is a link to The Complete Hoot's Website, and here is their description of how winners of Owl Awards are chosen:

"The Owl Awards recognize and celebrate achievements in the arts in the Upper Valley for a given arts year, September to September.  Nominations are made by our readers and the top five-six are then listed in each category for the final voting.  Final voting is done through both the readership and e-mail contacts of The Complete Hoot."

Congratulations also go to Lebanon Ballet School, the ballet school of City Center Ballet, for their Owl Award for Outstanding Youth Dance Education! Congrats to the 2012-2013 teaching staff, guest teachers, and the amazing students who make teaching fun!

Welcome!

Welcome to the brand-new City Center Ballet Blog! City Center Ballet, a not-for-profit semi-professional ballet company, is the Upper Valley's premier ballet company located in the heart of Lebanon, NH. The 2013-2014 season, City Center's 15th season, is well underway.

We kicked this year off with an exciting performance of Giselle at the Lebanon Opera House on September 20th and 21st, the performance was spectacular and the story of Giselle's epic love for Albrecht brought tears to the eyes of many. Our season continues with Clara's Dream-a nutcracker story at the Lebanon Opera House December 5th, 6th, and 7th (tickets can be found here).  In April 2014 City Center Ballet is very excited to be bringing The Sleeping Beauty to the Upper Valley, performances are April 25th, 26th, and 27th at the Lebanon Opera House in Lebanon, New Hampshire! Mark your calendars now!

We are very excited to start this blog where we can share facts and trivia about our favorite ballets, fun anecdotes about City Center Ballet, profiles of our local and professional talent, sneak peeks of performances, and opportunities to interact with the City Center Ballet dancers at local events, with the Upper Valley Community of Vermont and New Hampshire!

We're quality ballet in your backyard!