The Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet, under the artistic direction of Jennifer Beasley, will present “Frozen Heart: The Tale of the Snow Queen” at 2 p.m. on April 2-3 at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center. The ballet will be based on the famous tale by Hans Christian Andersen, which was made popular by the recent animated film “Frozen.” It will be set to music by classical composer Hugo Alfven. The production will involve more than 75 MMB dancers from the metro area plus a professional guest artist from Ballet Memphis. The Frozen Fairytale Tea Party will follow the April 3 performance and offer the chance to meet the cast.
“Frozen Heart: The Tale of the Snow Queen” was choreographed for MMB by Atlanta-based choreographer Kristy Nilsson. Nilsson choreographed MMB’s 2014 production of “The Little Mermaid” which was presented at Jackson Academy Performing Arts Center to sold-out audiences. Additional full-length ballets created by Nilsson include “Rapunzel”, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, and “Aladdin”, all choreographed for professional and pre-professional companies in the Southeast. Nilsson is a former professional dancer with the Atlanta Ballet, and her choreography has earned awards from Regional Dance America, the Southeast Regional Ballet Association, and Dance Canvas.
“Kristy approached us with her idea for this ballet, and knowing what an innovative choreographer she is, we jumped at the chance to have her create it on our company,” says Artistic Director Beasley.
Nilsson’s interpretation uses Andersen’s story of a beautiful young queen, transformed by evil Ice Trolls into The Snow Queen. Her younger sister and her handsome new love venture into the frozen Kingdom to find a way to melt the Snow Queen’s frozen heart and free her from her icy prison. Filled with captivating images of the ice palace, the ballet has roles for sleigh-drawing reindeer, ice skaters on the frozen pond, and the Snow Queen’s stoic ice maidens. MMB dancers ranging in age from 8-18 will dance the roles, including eighteen year old Brandon resident Amber Lincoln as The Snow Queen “Elsandra” and sixteen year old Ridgeland resident Mary Kate Shearer as the Snow Queen’s younger sister “Gerda.” Sergio Masero Olarte, a professional dancer with Ballet Memphis who is originally from Spain, will dance the role of “Kai”, the handsome young man who helps Gerda melt Elsandra’s frozen heart.
“Kristy has done a great job of creating a unique version of this well-known story. She has kept many of the original elements of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, but also included many of her own concepts and also some features that audiences will recognize from the famous animated film. With Kristy’s intricate and sophisticated choreography, the ballet will appeal to young fairytale fans and serious ballet goers alike,” says MMB Executive Director Crystal Skelton.
The Frozen Fairytale Tea Party will follow the Sunday performance at 4 pm. The tea party offers the chance to meet and greet the characters from the ballet, feast on delectable treats, and visit The Snow Queen Elsandra’s wardrobe. Seating will be reserved at white-clothed tables in a frozen wonderland setting.
The Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet (MMB) is a non-profit regional ballet company that has made its home in Madison for over 20 years. The company annually presents “The Nutcracker” at Jackson Academy PAC and also a spring production from its repertoire. The company has previously performed “Cinderella” to rave reviews and record audiences, and has also presented the original ballets “Princess and the Pea”, “The Little Mermaid”, and “Beauty and the Beast” to the metro area. MMB is also the only ballet company in Mississippi who is a member of the Southeast Regional Ballet Association, a division of Regional Dance America. The Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy is the official school of MMB.
Tickets for “Frozen Heart: The Tale of the Snow Queen” are $18-$22 and can be purchased online at www.msmetroballet.com or by calling (601) 853-4508. Tickets for the Frozen Fairytale Tea Party are $25 and must be purchased separately from performance tickets.
Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet is generously sponsored in the 2015-2016 season by The Mississippi Arts Commission, Ergon, BankPlus, Harper, Rains, Knight & Co, Cici’s Pizza, Fresh Cut Catering and Floral, LeFleur Limousine Service, and BlueCross BlueShield of Mississippi.
