The Alice and Wonderland Follies

Ever since my daughter took some dance classes over the summer she has been prancing and bopping around the house pretending to be a dancer. Her love of dance continued over the holidays when she learned about the Nutcracker – where she recounted Clara’s magical journey with her beloved toy.

Now, that she is older I love that I can take her to shows – especially those with dance – where she can watch the dancers get high on their feet and imagine the magical world that they are trying to convey. We recently went to check out a preview of the New York Theatre Ballet‘s production of The Alice and Wonderland Follies.

Founded in 1978 by Diane Byer, this incredible organization is dedicated to performing contemporary and classic chamber ballets at affordable prices. This includes ballets from classic storybooks like Cinderella and the soon-to-be released Sleeping Beauty.

At the preview, we had a chance to watch three dance performances and songs played featuring Tweedlebum and Tweedledee, the incredible Jabberwocky poem with the entire cast and a performance with the Red Queen and the Cards. In celebration of 50 years of the Lewis Carroll classic, The-Alice-in-Wonderland Follies includes an electric atmosphere of a vaudeville extravaganza that brings to life the storybook’s beloved characters – Alice, the White Rabbit, the Red Queen, the Cheshire Cat, Caterpillar and the Flamingos.

My daughter’s (including my baby) were engaged during the entire preview and I personally loved the colorful costumes and dancing that made the show perfect for kids (and parents) of all ages. Designed for kids 3-8, the ballet is an hour-long and takes kids on Alice’s magical journey through dance as she meets all of the colorful characters we have all grown up with. While watching the preview, I was also struck by Keith Michael’s choreography that incorporated burlesque, softshoe, acrobatics, ballroom dance, African juba and classical on-pointe dancing that made the preview stunning and captivating to watch.