The Hampton Ballet Theatre School will perform its long-running annual production of “Peter and the Wolf” at two locations this week. The show, involving nearly 50 young dancers, will open at LTV Studios in Wainscott at 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. Monday, and be repeated at the Children’s Museum East End in Bridgehampton at those same times on Wednesday.
Sara Jo Strickland, the director and choreographer of H.B.T.S.’s “Peter and the Wolf,” said it is a great educational piece for children because a narrator tells the story in tandem with the music, to support the dancing and bring the tale to life.
When casting, Ms. Strickland said, she looks for vivacity and spontaneity in the children’s gestures and faces. “It is not a traditional ballet role, so when I’m casting, I’m looking for animation in their faces and their bodies,” she said. “There is a lot of pantomime, so facial expressions are really important. The little kids are great because they are less inhibited with their expressions and emotions.”
This year, due to the number of performances, two children will share the role of Peter. “The new Peters are Ammiel Sobey and Greta Minnerop, because for children I like to have a double-cast production,” Ms. Strickland said. She added that both Amiel and Greta are wonderful actors.
The show has a runtime of an hour and is accompanied by a 25-piece orchestra as well as the live narrator off to the side of the stage. Ms. Strickland said she loves performing at CMEE because of its outdoor venue. “CMEE is gorgeous, because at 4:30 the sun goes over and there is usually a lovely breeze,” she said.
Maintaining costumes and sets for “Peter and the Wolf” can be a challenge, due to the wear and tear over several very active dress rehearsals and performances. “Yuka Silvera was the original costume designer,” Ms. Strickland said, “but over the years, we have updated and renewed the costumes.” A stage floor has to be brought in at CMEE.
Yet, she said, the lighting outdoors in the late afternoon at CMEE adds a special element, delivering a different atmosphere and elevating the entire performance visually. Many audience members, an intermingling of friends and relatives of both the dancers and orchestra members, return year after year to watch.