Ballet Ariel opens its 20th anniversary season of performances with Tale of Molly Brown. Ballet Ariel will also be performing La Vivandiere, a one-act ballet choreographed by the great dance duo Arthur Saint-Léon and Fanny Cerrito.

Ballet Ariel opens its 20th anniversary season of performances with Tale of Molly Brown. This original ballet, by master storyteller and Artistic Director, Ilena Norton, was developed in collaboration with the Molly Brown House Museum, depicting the epic life of local legend, Molly Brown. This three-act ballet follows Molly from her courtship with JJ Brown in Leadville, through her rise in Denver society after JJ strikes gold, to her involvement in the suffrage movement, and later, survival of the Titanic. Narration provided by a costumed Molly, festooned in feathers and velvet, brings the audience deeper into the story. Norton beautifully incorporates her trademark elegant choreography with pioneer-inspired dances. The ballet’s score features traditional songs from the era including “Yankee Doodle” and “To a Wild Rose”. Gossamer Winds Quintet will provide live accompaniment for all performances.

Ballet Ariel will also be performing La Vivandiere, a one-act ballet choreographed by the great dance duo Arthur Saint-Léon and Fanny Cerrito with music by prolific Italian composer, Cesare Pugni. La Vivandiere, an enchanting classic ballet, debuted in London in 1844. Now, Denver audiences will have the opportunity to experience this perfectly preserved ballet, staged by Patricia Renzetti and Oleg Dedogryuk.

Tale of Molly Brown and La Vivandiere will be performed at Cleo Parker Robinson Theater on October 6, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. and October 7, 2018 at 3:00 p.m.