Sneak peek: 'Alice in Wonderland' by Ballet Victoria

Rachel Benton

Alice — you know, Lewis Carroll’s girl who went to wonderland — is coming to Olympia! Thanks to our beloved Ballet Northwest, audiences will have the opportunity to witness the whimsy and magic of “Alice in Wonderland” brought to life through an adaptation by Ballet Victoria.

Hurry and get your tickets while they are still available! This show will be playing for one performance only on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts.  

To learn more about this incredible opportunity, I spoke with Ballet Northwest’s co-Artistic Director Ken Johnson, and Ballet Victoria’s Artistic and Executive Director and Choreographer Paul Destrooper.  

I originally recorded our conversation so I could share direct quotes with you, JOLT readers, but thanks to a technical mishap caused by gremlins, the Cheshire Cat, or Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the recording captured nothing but silence.

Rather than sharing direct quotes in this column, I’ll share all the sneak peeks I noted during our conversation. Trust me, there’s plenty of insightful, exciting information; you'll love it! Enjoy! 

Sneak peek 

One of Ballet Northwest’s longstanding practices is to feature a performance by another professional company as part of its season, allowing local audiences and dancers to broaden their horizons without ever leaving Olympia.

When Ballet Northwest saw Ballet Victoria on stage, the company was amazed and jumped at the chance to share this incredible opportunity.

"Alice in Wonderland" is not a story audiences regularly see brought to life on the ballet stage, which is part of what makes this production such a treat. What many ballet audiences know and love are the classic dramatic tales accompanied by romantic scores, often composed by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky.  

What makes this production unique, however, is its specially curated score, created by Destrooper, featuring a mix of carefully selected pieces that complement the story. The production will use projected backgrounds with unique imagery to help audiences fully immerse themselves in wonderland's curious world. 

 Another element that sets "Alice in Wonderland" apart from other ballets is its comedic storytelling and humor. These are not necessarily the first qualities people associate with ballet, making this production part of a larger effort to challenge stereotypes about the art form and invite new audiences to experience ballet in an entirely different way. The comedy won’t take away from the beauty of this art form or distract from the dancers. Instead, humor adds another layer of entertainment and enhances the overall experience. 

A couple of remarks from Johnson and Destrooper stayed with me long after our conversation. First, Destrooper described how the characters in “Alice in Wonderland” resemble many people we know and love. Perhaps the Mad Hatter reminds someone of their uncle, or Tweedledee and Tweedledum of rambunctious cousins.  

I’ve seen both the original Disney cartoon and Disney’s live action adaptation, but I’d never thought of it that way. That’s a clever and insightful observation. It also feels perfectly fitting that Ballet Victoria is coming in November, when holiday festivities kick off, and we reunite with those we only see this time of year.

This time of year can be quite exhausting, depending on family dynamics. Perhaps Alice's sense of humor will comfort you as you begin preparing for what is coming up. Again, that’s the power of art: it changes how we see our lives and helps us cope with a rather mad reality. 

Later in our conversation, Johnson described what this production means to many local ballet dancers, who are still establishing their technique and nuanced identity within the craft. Seeing examples on stage of how people innovate while honoring tradition is vital to maintaining the integrity of this art form.

Creatives need to hold reverence for tradition and imaginative creative freedom in their hands at the same time. Young people especially need to learn that they can take a story and make it their own with the skill sets learned through lessons and practice. Most of all, creatives, especially younger artists, need to witness what is possible through hard work, love, and a sprinkle of magic. This show offers this kind of inspiration to all of us. 

Ballet Northwest and Ballet Victoria hope to partner again in the future. Still, for unique shows like this, I always say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

Don’t let yourselves live with the regret of missing out on this show. Hurry and get your tickets now and help sell out the show so we can send the message that we want content like this for our audience more often.  

See the JOLT News Events Calendar for more ticket information.

Rachel is a writer, arts advocate, performing arts enthusiast, and passionate about our beloved Thurston County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and Political Science and a minor in Music. You can enjoy more of Rachel's writings by visiting her website. All inquiries for Rachel can be submitted here.