First State Ballet kicks off its 2023-24 season tonight (Thursday) with a free concert at Freeman Pavilion.
The event is a low-key showcase of the ballet’s dancers, featuring the company in a series of popular selections.
The organization’s Director of Advancement Joan Beatson says it’s a strong program.
“We’re doing excerpts from The Sleeping Beauty, including the fantastic Rose Adagio, very exciting pas de six. We’re doing a pas de deux from Diane and Actaeon, Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake, and another pas de deux called Melody - it’s very beautiful - we did it there before about five or six years ago. So it’s a really varied program - something for everyone.”
The event typically attracts over a thousand attendees. Beatson says the draw is an opportunity to see the dancers on a much more personal level than in formal performances.
“We also make it a big event with a little ballet class before the performance, we have tiara making, and a meet and greet after the show.”
Beatson says the event has grown from an initial attendance of 20 to over a thousand recently.
First State’s formal season at the Grand in Wilmington opens with Coppelia October 21st.
Delaware Public Media' s arts coverage is made possible, in part, by support from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.
