Orlando Sentinel
May 10, 2013 | By Christine Cole, Correspondent
LEESBURG — With the spring performances of the classic fairy tale “Cinderella,” scheduled for this weekend, the level of excitement has soared at the Mount Dora School of Ballet.
“Our Spring Performance is a culmination of our dancers hard work, love of ballet, rehearsals…It’s their big game,” owner and teacher Kathryn Wheeler said.
Because last year’s full-length ballet performance sold out all of the 400 seats in the Paul P. Williams Theater in Lake-Sumter State College, Wheeler added a second performance this year.
Students who are 4 to 18 years old will perform the ballet at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
“We have already sold more than 300 tickets for each performance,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler said in the past she has been forced to limit each student’s family to four tickets, with a chance to buy more if available nearer to the show date.
“So a lot of people came to see the dress rehearsals,” she said. “Now, for the first time, the community is coming out. People understand better what these young people do.”
Luis Gonzalez, of the Orlando Ballet, will be the Prince to Elizabeth Powers’ Cinderella.
Elizabeth, 15, has been accepted into the prestigious summer intensive program of the Houston Ballet. Carolyn Bakich, 14, who plays the Spring Fairy, will attend the program of the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and Alexandra Campione, who plays the Good Fairy, will attend the Atlanta Ballet’s program.
Wheeler wants to make sure people understand that these performances are not recitals, in which one dance follows another, but proper ballets. She said that immersing the students in such an endeavor builds the camaraderie of a real ballet company.
“You can feel their excitement in the studio rehearsals,” Wheeler said.
Tickets are $20. For reservations or for more information, call 352-357-5536.
LSSC is located at 9501 U.S. Highway 441.
The Mount Dora School of Ballet is located at 4280 N. County Road19A, Suite 4, Mount Dora.