Hansel + Gretel is the tale of a brother and sister lost in the forest and searching for their way home. An old witch entices the children with dancing gumdrops and fanciful gingerbread to throw them off their path. Join us May 4, 2:00pm at the Miller Center for the Arts to see this story come to life. 

Why did you choose to turn this children’s story into a ballet?

Resident Choreographer, Nathan Bland said:

“I’m always looking for a story that will engage children and is well known, but is perhaps not commonly done as a ballet. When we did Alice in Wonderland that was a similar scenario, it’s a very well known story, but it’s not in the classical ballet repertoire. As a choreographer, it’s a fun challenge to tell a story through dance without using words. I did choose to incorporate a little bit of storytelling into Hansel + Gretel, that is because I tweaked the story to be uniquely ours. 

Something else that makes this production unique is the music. I’ve used various composers, but mainly Oskar Nedbal a lesser known Czech composer. His music is very interesting and layered. I could see the story as I listened to his music and that helped the choreography flow.

I’m excited to see the dancers hard work and dedication come to life stage!”

Berks Ballet Theatre is excited to end it’s 43rd season with this lively and enchanting ballet that is perfect for the whole family! Make a day of it and join us 12:30 – 1:30pm for a pre-performance reception with crafts, story time, meet + greet with the cast in costume along with treats from Ady Cakes and Sweet Ride Ice Cream.

Photo by Katie Ging Photography