by Missy Votel

Rock ’n’ roll and ballet may be on opposite ends of the musical spectrum, but the two will come together on the Smiley Theatre stage for a unique dance performance by Denver’s Ballet Ariel.

“The Birth of Rock and Roll,” which features 10 dancers from Ariel as well as four young local dancers, kicks up its heels Sun., Aug. 11, at 6 p.m.

The troupe, which is made up of six women and four men, includes Claire Snyder, who grew up in Durango and studied under Lisa Bodwalk and Shannon Mitchell-Hyatt at the Dance Center. The local dancers taking part in the production include Dasha Eggleston; Edde Lyons; Mary Grace Snyder, Claire’s younger sister; and Anya Snyder (no relation.)

Just the Facts What: “The Birth of Rock ’n’ roll,” a two-piece performance by Denver’s Ballet Ariel featuring local dancers When: 6 p.m., Sun., Aug. 11 Where: Smiley Building Theatre, 1309 E. 3rd Ave. Tickets: $10 kids under 12; $15 students and seniors; $20 adults. Available at the door or in advance at Maria’s Bookshop, 960 Main Ave.

For Claire, who grew up dancing with professional big city dance troupes when they came through Durango, Sunday’s show will be like coming full circle.

“When I was a kid, I was always dancing with the companies,” she said. “Now, it’ll be fun to be part of the company that’s coming.”

Claire said she also looks forward to dancing with her little sister, Mary Grace, 15. “I’m really excited, the last time I danced with her was 10 years ago when she was dressed up like a little strawberry for a Dance Center show,” she said.

For the Snyders, dancing is a family affair. Mother, Louise, teaches beginner ballet at the Smiley Building and both another sister and younger brother have danced. Louise has been helping the local dancers learn their routines over the last few weeks and will be helping out backstage at Sunday’s show. Even their dad, John, has been getting in on the action, doing marketing and distributing flyers. In fact, it was the Snyder parents who were pivotal in bringing the show to Durango.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be coming down there,” said Claire. “A big shout-out to my parents.”

Ballet Ariel founder and artistic director Ilena Norton said the Snyders often traveled to see Claire dance and were always talking about bringing the troupe to Durango. “Claire’s parents were really looking for us to come to Durango, they are basically sponsoring the show.” So, a few months back, Norton came down to scope out the Smiley Theatre and instantly agreed to a show. “It’s a really nice theatre, I can see why they want us to come down there.”

Sunday’s performance will actually feature two pieces choreographed by Ariel faculty. They are based off the company’s spring show, which was performed at the Parker Arts and Cultural Center and was backed by the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Although the Smiley performance will feature a recording of the orchestra, it will back the dancers live at a show on Aug. 8 at the Arvada Center Amphitheatre.

 The first piece in the show is a contemporary abstract ballet done by Greg Gonzales, who was a principal dancer for the Colorado Ballet from 1996-2004. Norton describes the piece as “passionate and exciting,” featuring difficult sequencing and complex moves.

“It’s more for the dance enthusiast,” said Claire, who will be dancing in both pieces. “It showcases our high technical level and teamwork.”
The second piece, from which the show takes its name, is a more light-hearted look at the history of American music from the 1930s-50s.

“It takes us from swing to blues to early Elvis,” said Norton, who choreographed the piece. She said for one of the sequences, the dancers studied old clips from “American Bandstand” to get down the acrobatics that were so prevalent at the time.

“I think a lot of people who are not ballet lovers will enjoy it,” Norton said. “It was choreographed as a ballet, but it has broad appeal.”

Claire agrees. “It gives people who’ve never seen dance before an upbeat, easy-to-follow, fun rock and roll performance,” she said.

For Ballet Ariel, which was founded 15 years ago, the trip to Durango signifies yet another step in the company’s evolution. “We have been growing and getting quite a bit bigger in the last 10 years,” said Norton, who also added a ballet school in 2001. Since founding the company in1998, the Stanford-Yale educated Norton has created many original ballets for the company, which has performed throughout Denver as well as in Casper, Wyo., and Leadville.

“We do things that are original and interesting,” said Norton. “We’re kind of branching out more and getting out to different communities.”

Claire, who left Durango at 17 to study with Ballet West in Salt Lake City and has since trained with Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Austin and the St. Louis Ballet, said she is impressed with the way the local dance scene is branching out as well.

“I’m so proud of Durango now because there are so many Dance studios,” she said. “When I grew up, there were not a whole lot of options in dance arts. I was so happy to have Lisa and Shannon, they were both very encouraging.”

Now in her third year at Ariel, Claire looks forward to exposing the local audience to something they might not otherwise get a chance to see.
“It’s so fun and different,” she said of the show. “It’s very powerful when you are excited about something. It gets everyone else excited. Hopefully, we’ll get Durango excited.”

For more on Ballet Ariel, go to www.balletariel.org