Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet to perform Madeline & The Red Shoes

Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet celebrates the coming of spring on Saturday, March 2nd with a presentation of Madeline & the Red Shoes at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. Based on the beloved children’s stories by French author and illustrator Ludwig Von Bemelmans, Madeline & the Red Shoes is a colorful ballet about the “twelve little girls in two straight lines” who live in Paris with their teacher, Miss Clavel.

Upon the invitation of Artistic Director Patricia Lavoie, guest artist Kitty Seale (the ballet’s choreographer and the Founder & Artistic Director of Alabama Dance Theatre) staged this colorful and light-hearted work for Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet. This delightful children’s tale has already thrilled packed audiences in other areas of the country, including at a production by the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. Here in New Hampshire, Jessica Davison (age 12 of Bedford) and Sallie Werst (age 16 of Merrimack) will take turns performing the lead role of Madeline. Professional guest artists Richard Yé and Doug Davis will portray the roles of Pepito and the Ballet Master, respectively.

In addition to Madeline & the Red Shoes, Southern NH Youth Ballet will also perform Bolero, a technically difficult and breathtaking original work by Artistic Director Patricia Lavoie, as well as excerpts from the classic ballet Sleeping Beauty and modern choreography by artist-in-residence Melissa Desrosiers. Southern NH Youth Ballet will present two performances only on March 2, 2002 at 1:00pm and 6:00pm at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. To reserve seats, call the Palace Theatre Box Office at (603) 668-5588.