Bayer Ballet Academy School’s annual performances of “The Snow Queen” are scheduled to run this weekend in downtown Mountain View.
Now in its 11th year, the shows will be held Friday and Saturday at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, MainStage, 500 Castro St.
Based on Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, “The Snow Queen” follows a young girl named Gerda who embarks on a magical journey to save her friend, Kai.
Inna Bayer, who owns the Mountain View-based academy and serves as artistic director, said she has choreographed the show since 2014, adding classical and neoclassical ballet elements.
“I think people will love it,” the Saratoga resident said. “It’s a nice story, which is (also) interesting for young kids and for adults. Also, our (students) are dancing professionally, so we bring in a beautiful quality and I know that many people say that it’s the best Christmas show.”
The cast of 150 dancers, ranging in age from 9 to 18, auditioned in October and began rehearsals in November, according to dancer Sydney Qian, who performs the role of Gerda.
“I always enjoy how (Bayer) always gives a lot of corrections (to our technique), even at rehearsals or classes, and pays a lot of attention to detail, which I think you can’t find anywhere else,” the 14-year-old said.
“I think the audience can expect a lot of vulnerability or emotion portrayed on stage throughout the ballet.”
This year, Bayer Ballet wanted to focus on the presentation of the upper body throughout the dance, according to Diana Levine, who dances multiple roles in the show.
“We already kind of built the foundation (of the dance) over the past two years, so now we need to work on our upper body and our presentation,” the 15-year-old said. “Also, the upper body in our presentation is a really unique way to express ourselves that no other ballet school does.”
Miley Liu, dancing as the Master Troll in the show, said “The Snow Queen” is an engaging and magical experience for the audience.
“(The show) is certainly one of a kind, like for each audience member, it’s really different,” the 15-year-old said. “Each character has such a unique personality that it takes the audience through an adventure of their own. You really feel like you’re in the story with Gerda, and I think it’s really lively and a very warm and happy story.”
Performances are set for 7 p.m. Friday and 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday. Each show runs approximately two hours and 20 minutes, with a 20-minute intermission. Tickets are $42-$65.50.
For tickets and more information, call (650) 903-6000 or visit tickets.mvcpa.com.
