‘Romeo and Juliet’ opens April 12

HUNTSVILLE – Ashley Jordan of Madison will dance in the lead role of Juliet when Huntsville Ballet Company presents Shakespeare’s classic love story, “Romeo and Juliet.”

Huntsville Ballet Company will close its season with “Romeo and Juliet,” a full-length ballet. The production will be performed in the Mark C. Smith Concert Hall of the Von Braun Center on April 12-14 in four performances.

Phillip Otto, Artistic Director of Huntsville Ballet, choreographed the production. Otto has held an accomplished career as a professional dancer and choreographer in many companies across the United States.

Ashley Jordan of Madison will dance the lead role of Juliet for the April 13 evening and April 14 matinee performances. Other company members from Madison are Emma Grace Bailey and Jillian Pennell.

Nathaniel Otto and Jordan will share the roles of Romeo and Juliet, interchanged with Ethan Mazack and Samantha Amaya.

Community Ballet Association Board members from Madison are Debbie Baughn, Garrett Estes and Robert Salinas.

Huntsville Ballet’s “Romeo and Juliet” will be performed to Sergei Prokofiev’s score, which has been hailed as one of the most beautiful pieces of music in the ballet world, spokesperson Annelle Craig said.

Lisa Ordway, the company’s award-winning costume designer, is preparing costumes. The new and innovative set design has been designed in collaboration with David Harwell and the theater department at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Guest artist Logan Paschall will dance the part of Mercutio. Paschall received ballet training with the Dance Theatre of Harlem in Washington D.C. and New York, along with modern training from Baltimore School for the Arts and Adelphi University. He has performed in Debbie Allen’s “Alex in Wonderland” at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.

Show times will be April 12 and 13 at 7:30 p.m., along with 2 p.m. matinees on April 13 and 14.

Audience members can attend a free lecture, “Shakespeare Now and Then,” at 1 p.m. and April 13 and 14.

Tickets are available at the VBC Box Office or online at Ticketmaster.com. For more information, call Huntsville Ballet at 256-539-0961 or visit huntsvilleballet.org.