The Central Ballet Theatre of Greeneville has announced its newest ballet, “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” to be performed at the Annie Hogan Byrd Auditorium at Tusculum, January 26 – 28.
Left to right: Amelie Kemmann, Mauren Pickle, Michaela Kricko, Hanna Johnson, Anna Johnson, Lori Ann Sparks, Brianna Doolittle, Grace Anderson, Eliza Burton, Morgan Brink and Lavendar Colmer.
Central Ballet Theatre’s Artistic Director Lori Ann Sparks, along with Marilyn duBrisk, director of Tusculum’s Arts Outreach program, give life and new meaning to The Twelve Dancing Princesses. The play was originally a German fairytale written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812.
The ballet will star three male professional dancers: Dillon Davis, Samuel Chester and Cole Companion.
Dillon Davis is currently teaching and dancing his sixth season with the Chattanooga Ballet. Davis studied with the Alabama Ballet and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, then continued on to perform professionally with the Nashville Ballet and the Dance Theatre of Tennessee in many solo roles.
Samuel Chester is a professional freelance dancer after working as a principle dancer for ten years with the Carolina Ballet Theatre. Chester was also sponsored by the United States Embassy to perform at the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Gala Internacional De Danze in Montevideo, Uruguay. Chester will be returning to Japan to perform with the Yoko Kaisia School of Dance.
Cole Companion is an adjunct professor at Dance Legacy in Indiana where he teaches pas de deux class. Companion currently works as a ballet master, resident choreographer and professional dancer for the Ballet Theatre of Indiana. This is Cole’s second season with the Central Ballet Theatre.
While the story stems from the Brothers Grimm, Sparks has adapted it to be family-friendly and to be more uplifting, rather than to be tragic as it was originally written.
Many local dancers also appear in this ballet. Hanna Johnson of Greeneville and Eliza Burton from Jefferson City share the lead role of Princess Dolcina. Other local dancers include Hallie Frank, Elizabeth Bosse and Maggie Sanders.