Ballet Hartford Features Family Day, Behind the Scenes, at Hill-Stead

Ballet Hartford invites audiences to very special days of artistry, elegance, and beauty this month amidst a wonderful Spring season, with performances in multiple venues across the region. This month - on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 30 - the venue will be the historic Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington.

Later this spring, the Wadsworth Mansion in Middletown will provide the setting for a truly unique experience, and the Hoffman Auditorium on the campus of the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford will offer a comfortable and accessible venue for families of all ages. The Ballet Hartford upcoming performance schedule includes:

Saturday, March 15, 2:00-3:00PM

Family Day at The Hill-Stead Museum

Join Ballet Hartford for an interactive Sleeping Beauty ballet program for children ages 5-12 years with professional dancers. The program includes a ballet warm-up, learning choreography from The Sleeping Beauty, and a student Q&A with Ballet Hartford dancers.

Tickets: $15 per child; Accompanying adults are free!

Sunday, March 30, 3:00-4:00PM

Behind the Ballet at The Hill-Stead Museum

Join Ballet Hartford for a behind-the-scenes experience featuring the making of Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos – a new ballet choreographed by Ballet Hartford’s Artistic Director, Claire Kretzschmar. This one-hour program dives deep into the choreographic process with performed ballet excerpts and a discussion led by guest moderator, Joanne Carey (host of the insightful podcast “Dance Talk with Joanne Carey”).

Tickets: $30 Adult; $20 Student (with Valid ID); $20 Child 12+under

Upcoming later this Spring:

Friday, May 2, 7:00PM

The Sleeping Beauty

University of Saint Joseph, Hoffman Auditorium, West Hartford

Ballet Hartford brings to life the classic, timeless story of The Sleeping Beauty paired with a new world premiere Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos choreographed by Artistic Director Claire Kretzschmar, with support from the Roberts Foundation for the Arts. Tickets: $40 Adult; $20 Student (with valid ID); $20 Child 12+under;

Sunday, May 11 (Mother's Day) 11:00AM-12:30PM, 1:00-2:30PM

The Sleeping Beauty, Wadsworth Mansion, Middletown

Ballet Hartford returns to the Wadsworth Mansion with the classic, timeless story of The Sleeping Beauty followed by a catered luncheon for Mother's Day.

11:00 Tickets: 1:00 Tickets: $40 General Admission

“This spring season is truly a delight. We are looking forward to returning to the Hill-Stead for two wonderful programs, and I am particularly excited about The Sleeping Beauty in May, because each performance features a timeless narrative ballet alongside a classical, contemporary premiere. I'd particularly encourage families to attend Ballet Hartford this Spring, to share with children the joy of storytelling through movement,” said Claire Kretzschmar, former New York City Ballet Soloist and Ballet Hartford's Artistic Director. Kretzschmar is in the midst of her first year as Artistic Director of Ballet Hartford. The season began with a wondrous Valentine’s Day performance at the 224 EcoSpace in Hartford.

The Sleeping Beauty marks the largest undertaking by the Ballet Hartford company in recent years, a narrative ballet that is traditionally popular with audiences, bringing together dance, music, costumes and stories.

“Each season has brought tremendous growth for our organization - most visibly in the programming we can provide for our audiences," shares Ballet Hartford's Executive Director, Leyna Doran. "This Spring Season is no exception; Claire's inspiration and artistic ingenuity will bring delight to audiences from all over."

“In our support of the arts, we seek to fund exceptional aesthetic experiences that reflect, celebrate and elevate the human spirit,” said Roberts Foundation for the Arts Executive Director Lisa M. Curran. “Ballet Hartford exemplifies that level of excellence, providing technical expertise and inspiring artistry.”

Ballet Hartford, in association with Claire Kretzschmar Productions, performed on a three-city tour last December - to New York City, Philadelphia and Winston-Salem – receiving rave reviews. Performances included A Ceremony of Carols, a new Christmas tradition featuring original ballets by Kretzschmar.

In addition, a formal partnership has been established between Ballet Hartford and Woodbury Ballet. Woodbury Ballet's Artistic Director, Christine Harris, also serves as Ballet Hartford's Trainee Program Facilitator. Ballet Hartford’s Trainees performed at Waterbury’s Palace Theater in Woodbury Ballet’s performance of Nutcracker last year.