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Connecticut Ballet provides a Curricular Guide for Teachers specific to each 'Share the Magic' offering. The Guide will be made available on February 1, 2023.

Each school is responsible for transportation to and from The Bushnell.

I CAN identify the ways in which the dancers and choreographer collaborate to create a narrative story ballet. I CAN better understand the creative process of expressing emotions and story lines using the human body and gestures from everyday life.

Now in its eleventh season, the 'Share the Magic' performances attended by students in grades two, three, and four follows the same format: a fully-professional ballet performance condensed to 75 minutes with narration by Artistic Director Brett Raphael.

This year will feature TWO full-length ballets: 'The Nutcracker' in December 2022, and "˜Coppelia,' in May 2023.

The three-act story ballet features the magical toy shop of Dr. Coppelius and his doll, Swanhilda, who mysteriously comes to life. Set in Prussia in olden times, it features very colorful national dances such as the Hungarian czardas and Polish mazurka. The ballet was last produced at The Bushnell in 2008.

The narration by Artistic Director Brett Raphael describes the characters in the story ballet and dancers demonstrate their individual movements and relationships within the plot.

Students are asked to stand in their places and try certain movements or gestures to connect kinesthetically with the dance art. Students are taken through the creative process of making the ballet including introductions to the lighting designer, costume designer, ballet mistress, stagehands, and rehearsal assistants, all of whom collaborate to create a seamless whole. Finally, the entire work is performed.

At the close, students and educators as questions of principal dancers about being a full-time professional dancer and different aspects of the ballets on view.