Hello everyone!
Some of you may know that I
recently formed a nonprofit ballet company called
Leigh Purtill Ballet
Company. I did this because I wanted to create an opportunity for adult
ballet dancers of
all skill levels, backgrounds, and ages to
perform; to present ballet to a diverse audience which might not
normally seek out ballet performances; and to do what I can to foster
ballet as an
inclusive art form.
It is my belief that ballet is for
everyone.
For
eight years I have been developing an original ballet called SWEET
SORROW which is loosely based on my novel of the same name. It's a
sequel of sorts to Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare - which is
why A ZOMBIE BALLET is its subtitle. Because Romeo and Juliet are dead.
Structurally,
the ballet follows a similar trajectory to the classic Nutcracker, a
winter holiday favorite and one that audiences are familiar with. But
the story itself is a unique one: at the funeral for Romeo and Juliet,
a strange woman raises the lovers from the dead with a potion. While
others cringe and run away, only Juliet's cousin Rosaline is intrigued.
In the cemetery, Rosaline meets the woman again who reveals herself to
be Queen of the Zombies. She uses her horde of beautiful dead ballerinas
to entice Rosaline to consume a potion and follow her to the
Underworld, where she meets Vampires, Witches - and Romeo and Juliet.
We've
performed small sections of this with various dancers, both modern and
classical, and in various venues. Invariably the question from the
audience is always the same: when is there going to be
MORE?
The answer is:
October 8, 2017
at 4PM and 7PM at the Lanterman Auditorium, a theater in La Canada not
far from where I teach and rehearse. We are over-the-moon excited! Every
single dancer involved has been magnanimous with his or her time,
energy and resources. I am so proud to be presenting this passion
project of mine with these wonderful people.
While SWEET
SORROW is the first original production for LPBC, it will not be the
only one. We have much more in store for our future!
Two weeks ago we launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise funds for theater rental, costumes, rehearsal space, and so on. We are a 501(c)(3) and
all donations are tax-deductible. On our campaign page, you will see a
trailer (created by Rachel Swetnam, our Juliet) and some stunning
artwork (designed by Bill Reiss, our Romeo). We need to get the company up and running!
The campaign continues for another week. If
you can donate, wonderful! If you can share the link and info,
terrific! And if you're in town on October 8, I hope you'll make plans
to see the show.
Thank you for your support. Happy dancing~
