Community is the star of Mountainside’s upcoming ‘Sleeping Princess Ballet’
While Snow White inspired the story that will unfold at Mountainside Dance Center’s “Sleeping Princess Ballet” on July 22, a desire to stage a true community event motivated producer Anne Williams’ approach.
“This year we’ve tried to make it more community oriented,” explained Williams, owner of Mountainside Dance Center (as well as adjacent Mountainside Physical Therapy and Hazel River Arts & Antiques). “It’s not as exclusively people from the dance studio as it has traditionally been.”
So, Williams held open auditions and invited anyone interested to help with backstage tasks. In addition to Mountainside’s teenage students, many of the children performers are very new to ballet.
They will be joined by an experienced veteran of past Mountainside productions (and Williams’ niece), guest artist Aubrey Dorman. She has studied at CityDance in the D.C. area and will be majoring in dance this fall at Towson State University.
The ballet, Mountainside’s fourth community production including one held outdoors during Covid times, will take place at a premier Rappahannock location. “Dietlinde Maazel has been very, very gracious in o ering the Castleton Theatre House as our venue,” Williams said. “We’re really excited. It’s a beautiful stage.”
Philip S. Rosemond, Mountainside’s artistic director, is choreographing the show. A professional dancer for more than 25 years with eight ballet and three modern dance companies, Rosemond has been teaching since 1978.
A grant from RAAC’s Claudia Mitchell Fund is partially funding the ballet, as well as scholarships for younger students in need who want to attend Mountainside’s ongoing dance classes.
“We’re anxious to get more students involved,” said Williams.