Youth Ballet's 'Yuletide' coming to Merrimack

The Huntsville Times - Sunday, November 25, 2007
By JON BUSDEKER
Times Arts Writer jon.busdeker@htimes.com

Last year, after the Alabama Youth Ballet Theatre finished its first Christmas performance, one spectator had a comment for AYBT's director Keren Gibb.

The show, called "A Yuletide Ballet," featured scenes from "The Nutcracker" ballet as well as other choreographed dances.

The spectator informed Gibb the show was better than the complete "Nutcracker" because it had all the good parts "without the boring ones."

This year, Gibb and the dance company will continue to bring the best parts of "The Nutcracker" with its second run of "A Yuletide Ballet." The four-show run opens at Merrimack Hall on Friday at 7:00 p.m, followed by two Saturday shows ( 2 and 7:00 p.m.) and a show on Sunday (2 p.m.)

The year-old AYBT features a wide range of dancers from all ages and skill levels. According to Gibb, "A Yuletide Ballet" performance takes more than eight weeks of practice before the 100 or so dancers are ready for the show.

This year the performance will include new costumes including a handmade, 61/2-foot tall "Mother Ginger" costume for Act II of the show.

Also, Gibb said there will be new choreography with more elaborate scenes during the "Nutcracker" section. The AYBT will perform all of Act I and excerpts from Act II with sprinklings of other holiday pieces.

This is the first time the AYBT has performed at the Merrimack Hall, and the first time any local dance theater has staged a show at the new hall.