Hot on the heels of a controversial Disney remake of their own animated Snow White film, Toledo Ballet welcomes audiences to an innovative spin on the classic tale. A German fairy tale that first appeared in written from by The Brothers Grimm in 1812, Snow White has taken on as many variations as stars in the sky. Last October artistic director Eric Otto broke new ground for Toledo Ballet with his vision of Sleepy Hollow, with a goal of making that ballet as much a tradition as The Nutcracker. Otto shared his enthusiasm for his Snow White production, April 25 & 26, at the Valentine Theater, with Toledo City Paper.
The Music of Snow White
Taking over as artistic director of the Toledo Ballet in 2022, Eric Otto has brought an impressive resume of dance experience with him. A native of upstate New York, he’s been dancing since the age of seven, and professionally with New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, and Metropolitan Opera Ballet. He’s toured with such luminaries as Twyla Tharp, for her 50th Anniversary, and is an ABT certified teacher. He’s also worked extensively as a choreographer. With last season’s new production of Sleepy Hollow and the decision to create a Snow White ballet it’s been an ambitious, tiring, and satisfying first three years at Toledo Ballet. “What’s interesting to me,” says Otto, “is that no composer ever wrote a score for Snow White. The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, all had ballets created for them, but nothing for Snow White. I pieced together an entire score from other pieces of classical music to create a 90-minute ballet. It was hard, but once I started to listen to different pieces of music and think about the scenes and the story it all came together like a compilation. For example, there’s a big pas-de-deux at the end of act two between the prince and Snow White, it’s a wedding celebration, which is very traditional in classical ballet. I really love this music by Jules Massenet, Meditation from Thais, from an opera he wrote. I also used pieces by Mendelssohn, Edvard Grieg, and Tchaikovsky. It’s an interesting mix of music. One skill I feel confident about is being able to listen to the musicality of a given piece of music and telling the story through the instruments.” Otto cites as an example, a flute from a particular piece of music and using that sound for the three birds that dance with Snow White in the forest.
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There are two acts running about 38 and 32 minutes with a 20-minute intermission. This will be a large cast of 80 performers, many of the students at the school, with the Toledo Symphony bringing the score to life. Otto notes that Toledo Ballet has recently moved into a newly renovated studio next to the old Masonic Temple that’s 56,000 square feet, under the same roof with the Toledo Symphony Orchestra which provides an incredible opportunity to create ballets like Snow White. Otto’s goal is to create a ballet company on par with other midwestern regional companies. It’s an ambitious but attainable goal with hard work and good professional productions.
Who’s the Fairest One of All?
The coveted role of Snow White will be played by Liesl Kraft, an 18-year-old from the Toledo area who recently graced the cover of Toledo City Paper. Mancebo, a dancer from the Cleveland Ballet is returning as the prince after playing Brom Bones in last fall’s Sleepy Hollow. Ruslan Sprague is a long-time friend of Otto’s and hails from the Berkshires in New York.
Otto has said he isn’t straying from the Disney version of the story of Snow White most of us know. There won’t be any implied violence between the Huntsman and Snow White, rather he takes her deep into the forest and leaves her there. The woodland creatures come out to take her to the cottage where the dwarves live which is a great opportunity to utilize a large student cast that Otto is proud to say are dancing at a high level. He’s also made the magic mirror a character that comes to life with her own solo and a costume embellished with pieces of glass, emerging from a huge mirror frame. There will be a dance between her and the Queen, using flourishes of contemporary dance influenced by Otto’s time working with Twyla Tharp. Professional ballerina Liza Van Heerden returns as the Evil Queen after playing the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
Snow White makes her debut on April 25 and 26 at the Valentine. It’s been a labor of love for Otto and the entire cast that’s sure to enchant Toledo audiences of any age.
