LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD Ballet Comes to Beck Center for the Arts

Beck Center for the Arts will celebrate 50 years of dance excellence with its Spring Ballet production of Little Red Riding Hood. This beloved classic tale is brought to life with a lively cast of familiar characters—including Red Riding Hood, Granny, and a charmingly silly Wolf—as well as Red's friends Cinderella and Goldilocks, who accompany her on her journey through the forest.

Along the way, they encounter a whimsical world filled with Wildflowers, the Three Bears, cuckoo birds, Tree Spirits, Wood Sprites, Huntresses, and other delightful woodland creatures. In this playful reimagining, Wolf overhears a conversation about Granny's “magical” cake and decides she wants the magic for herself. Despite her friends' attempts to explain that the cake is special—but not magical—Wolf rushes ahead, determined to steal it. Wolf succeeds and a humorous chase ensues, with all the dancers joining in the pursuit. When the cake is finally recovered and brought back to the village square, all is forgiven. The celebration continues with music, dance, and plenty of cake to share—including with the Wolf.

Melissa Yarur, associate director of dance, and choreographer of this spring ballet shared, “Beck Center's Dance Department is delighted to announce the premiere of Little Red Riding Hood, an original, light‑hearted ballet featuring the music of Prokofiev, Delibes, Strauss, and more. This vibrant production brings a joyful springtime adventure to the stage. The story opens in a bustling village preparing for its annual Spring Celebration. We are thrilled to share this new ballet with our community. Join us for a magical spring adventure.”

This year's Spring Ballet features a talented ensemble of more than 95 performers, showcasing dancers of all ages and experience levels from Beck Center's Dance Workshop. The four principal roles are double-cast, giving dancers the opportunity to grow by performing multiple roles while highlighting the depth and diversity of Beck Center's dance programming.

Each performance runs for approximately one hour without intermission, perfect for  families and audiences of all ages.