Howard County Ballet will perform its inaugural show this weekend -- and despite the season, it won't be "The Nutcracker."
Founder Kathi Ferguson has chosen to buck holiday orthodoxy by offering "The Snow Queen," her adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, which the company will perform tomorrow and Sunday at Smith Theatre, Howard Community College.
She hopes the performance will become a Christmas staple in the area, an alternative to a steady diet of "Nutcracker."
"I picked 'The Snow Queen' because it has a beautiful ending, where the strength of prayer and beliefs overcome great odds. That's truly the holiday spirit," said Ms. Ferguson, who also directs Aesthetics Dance Studio in Ellicott City.
Ms. Ferguson also said she was reacting to a "Nutcracker"-saturated market. "It's a refreshing change for everyone, but it has a holiday feel," she said of the new production.
Howard County Ballet, a new company, filed for nonprofit status in April. The Howard County Ballet production also may help strengthen ties within the local dance community, she said.
In addition to dancers from Aesthetics, the new dance company includes students from the Ballet Theatre of Annapolis, Columbia dance teacher June Smart and Dance Explosion of Glen Burnie.
"Everyone seemed to operate in their own little world," Ms. Ferguson said. "This is a large dance area, a tremendous number of studios. I wanted to do something to bring the studios together and to bring the dancers together."
Ms. Ferguson set her two-act production of "The Snow Queen" to music by Sibelius, especially his second symphony. For this weekend's performance, she has assembled a 23-member cast of professional and amateur dancers. Some of the children play up to six parts.
The plot of "The Snow Queen" starts with demons shattering a magic mirror, shooting shards throughout the world.
A little boy, Kay, is pierced by glass splinters in the eye and heart. He starts to see everything as bad and ugly, as his heart slowly turns to stone and ice. Then, the Snow Queen appears and abducts Kay, taking him to her ice palace at the top of the world.
Kay's friend, Gerda, goes in search of him and along the way encounters enchanted flowers, a flock of crows and a band of Gypsies.
The Snow Queen is played by Gina Dippery, 24, who teaches at Aesthetics and has danced for the Pennsylvania Ballet.
Kay is performed by two dancers, to show his growth over time.
Jamie Lee, a 10-year-old student at Centennial Lane Elementary School, will play the younger Kay, and guest artist Damian B. Fedoryka, 22, will play the older one. Mr. Fedoryka, of Front Royal, has studied under Michael Korogodsky at the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory and received ballet training at the age of 17 from the Northern Virginia Academy of Ballet.
Four dancers will portray Gerda through different ages: Kristen Friend, an 11-year-old Waverly Elementary School student; Jennifer Segawa, an 11-year-old Owen Brown Middle School student; Allison Novak, a 13-year-old Patapsco Middle School student, and Natasha Kirjanov, 22, a dance and biology major at Goucher College.
Ms. Kirjanov, a veteran of 50 Nutcracker productions, performed Ms. Ferguson's dance, "The Nightingale," last month at Goucher.
"This one is closer to classical dance than 'The Nightingale.' There are still some parts that are a little modern," Ms. Kirjanov said. "It's nice to have something as an alternative to 'The Nutcracker.'
"I did a work by Christopher d'Amboise. It was very light-hearted, humorous, lots of smiles, and in 'The Nightingale,' I had a pleasant look on my face," she said. "In 'The Snow Queen,' there is a yearning and longing in my role. It's a different sort of role. There's more of a character."
Howard County Ballet will present "The Snow Queen" at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Smith Theatre, Howard Community College in Columbia. Tickets are $8; group rates are offered. Tickets may be purchased at Aesthetics Dance Studio, 3240-E Corporate Court in Ellicott City, Star Dancewear next door, or at the box office the day of the performance. Information: 465-8233.