The Maine State Ballet's principal dancers will present lecture/demonstrations on Wednesday, March 5 at the Boothbay Region Elementary School gymnasium for all students. Boothbay schools students will be joined by those at the Edgecomb Eddy School and Southport Central School, as well as Y-Arts ballet students.

In his announcement to the school committee on February 26, Boothbay Region Elementary School Principal Mark Tess thanked band teacher Genie O'Connell for making the esteemed ballet company's appearance possible.

O'Connell says she has been trying to pull this together for years. Several years.

“One year we had the funding, but couldn't get the company; the next year it was the reverse. They (MSB) don't do this very often. This year, I guess, everything lined up,” O'Connell said. “We will have eight to 10 of the principal dancers out of a company of around 300. They will be costumed for their upcoming production of “Cinderella” in late March. But, no, they won't be able to bring the carriage!”

Artistic Director Linda MacArthur Miele said she and the dancers were looking forward to bringing the ballet to Boothbay. Although they will not be able to present the entire show, the dancers will be costumed as Cinderella, the Prince, the five Fairies, the stepmother and two stepsisters.

"We enjoy bringing it to areas away from the Portland area," Miele said. "We don't get to do it as much as we would like because our performance schedule doesn't permit it. In addition to spring shows, we do a series with David Ira Rottenberg, author of the ‘Gwendolyn the Graceful Pig’ books to schools. Those shows use very little equipment. Bringing a spring show is a big undertaking.”

Miele said she and the dancers will be traveling with a stage hand, dance floor and all of the costumes needed for the scenes being presented. Following each performance, which Miele expects will be an hour long, there will be a question and answer session.   

“It's incredible, very exciting!” O'Connell said. “It's been about 21 years since the Maine State Ballet came here and it was very successful with all ages,” O'Connell wrote. “Dance is one of the arts, along with theater, music, visual and media art, but it is the one that we don't teach here in our school. Ballet dancers are the equivalent of any fine gymnast with the added ability to coordinate their efforts with music.”

The schedule for the day:

From 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.: morning pre-K, Kindergarten, and first through grade four will attend. They will pick up bag lunches on their way back to the classrooms.

From 11 a.m. to noon: the afternoon pre-K, children from Southport and Edgecomb schools, Y-Arts ballerinas, grades five through eight, and Mrs. LeConte's class, will be the MSB's audience and students.

“But,” O'Connell said, “I'm holding my breath. Lou McNally says we're getting back into a storm track and — there isn't a storm date!”

The Maine State Ballet is a professional dance company and school founded in 1986. Miele is considered to be Maine's premiere choreographer. At 14, she became the youngest dancer of the New York City Ballet Company, performing in locales like Jerusalem, Dubrovnik, Venice and Salzburg; always returning to Lincoln Center in New York City. Miele said she left the city in 1972.

For more on the ballet school/company, or to buy “Cinderella” tickets, visit www.mainestateballet.org.