Franklin School's Ballet Conservatory to Perform with Metrowest Symphony, 3/9

Ballet Conservatory dancers from the Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will perform Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf and Benjamin Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra with the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Music Director Peter L. Cokkinias. The collaborative performance is part of the Hopkinton-based Orchestra's "Artists in Bloom" Family Concert, to be presented on Sunday, March 9 at 3 p.m. at the Joseph P. Keefe Technical School Auditorium, 750 Winter Street, in Framingham. The program also features Aaron Copland's Outdoor Overture and Maurice Ravel's Tzigane, with 16-year-old violin soloist Elizabeth Kim, winner of the Orchestra's annual Young Artist Competition.

The classic musical tale Peter and the Wolf comes to life with choreography and staging by FSPA Ballet Mistress Cheryl Madeux. Featuring Prokofiev's lyrical score, the adventures of Peter, his animal friends, and the wolf unfold with representation by different instruments and musical themes, providing a dynamic theatrical experience for children. The ballet also includes narration of the story by Rene Pfister, making it an especially delightful and accessible introduction to the world of live music and dance. Along with Prokofiev's memorable melodies, Madeux's choreography aptly expresses the different personalities of the principal characters.

A former company dancer with the Joffrey Ballet, Hartford Ballet and American Ballet Theatre (ABT), Cheryl Madeux has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe. She was a finalist in the Paris International Ballet Competition and the Prix de Lausanne and was awarded a Presidential Scholar in Dance. Ms. Madeux is a summer faculty member for the ABT Young Dancers Program in NY and an examiner for the ABT National Teacher Training Curriculum.

FSPA Ballet Conservatory dancers cast in Peter and the Wolf's featured roles are Sam Evans (Peter) of Medfield, Shaina McGillis (Wolf) of Franklin, Mikaela Guidice (Bird) of Norfolk, Alli Tomsik (Duck) of Medway and Sarah Radford (Cat) of Wrentham. Rudy Bauer of Franklin will portray the Grandfather.

One of the most popular scores used in children's music education, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra introduces the members of each family of instruments - woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. Hear the full orchestra, then brilliant variations on a theme written to spotlight each of the instruments, before the sections are brought together again for a dramatic fugue. Britten's masterful piece will be presented with choreography and staging by Clyde Nantais, an FSPA Dance Faculty member, to further enhance the audience's experience of this beloved work.

A former dancer with Boston Ballet, Clyde Nantais has taught at the Boston Ballet School for more than15 years. A faculty member at The Boston Conservatory, he was Ballet Master of The Boston Conservatory Dance Theatre. As a ballet master, teacher, choreographer and guest artist, Mr. Nantais has also worked with Festival Ballet of Rhode Island, Berkshire Ballet, Ballet Santo Domingo, Ithaca Ballet, Ballet Arkansas, Pioneer Valley Ballet, and The National Institute of the Arts in Taipei, Taiwan. He is Associate Director of the Boston Dance Company.

FSPA ballet dancers showcased in The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra are Noura Sander of Easton; Lily Barney, Kendra Dombroski, Shaina McGillis, Sarah Metras, Emma Nicholson, Olivia Rondeau and Lauren Szczepanowski of Franklin; Jared Brouillette of Holliston; Ashley Rosenthal of Hudson; Kaitlyn Calnan, Haley Desjarlais, Ally Lynch, Alli Tomsik and Maddy Williams of Medway; Phoebe Dias and Mikaela Guidice of Norfolk; and Jenna McDermott and Sarah Radford of Wrentham.

Founded in 1985 by Director Raye Lynn Mercer, FSPA provides extensive training, performance and programming in music, dance and drama to students of all ages and ability levels from across the MetroWest region. For more information about FSPA's Ballet Conservatory program or recreational dance classes at the school, call (508) 528-8668 or visit www.fspaonline.com.

Ticket prices for the "Artists in Bloom" special family concert are $25 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased online at www.metrowestsymphony.org or at the door.