Twenty years ago, a brand new ballet company staged a production of “Snow White” in Syracuse.
Then known as Upstate New York Ballet, that pioneering professional company, now renamed Syracuse City Ballet, has come a long way in 20 years and will celebrate the occasion with an all new production of “Snow White” at 7 p.m. March 10 and at 2 p.m. March 12 in the Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater.
“We are proud of how far we have come,” Artistic Director Kathleen Rathbun said. “We were thrilled when a few hundred people came to our first production. And now for our most recent Nutcracker in December more than 5,000 people came and enjoyed and another 3,500 school children came to special performances for them. This community has been so incredibly supportive.”
Two Syracuse natives will be starring in “Snow White.” Claire Rathbun will dance the title role. Claire, now 21, remembered being in a previous Snow White production as a child.
“I was a bunny in my first production as a little girl. I remember seeing the Snow White and I was just so much in awe of her and wanted to be just like her. It’s very cool to be in her position now,” she said.
Trained at Ballet & Dance of Upstate New York and performing in many Syracuse City Ballet productions, Claire was accepted to the Rock School for Dance in Philadelphia where she spent two years on scholarship and won the Silver medal in the Youth American Grand Prix. She also won the Bronze medal at the World Ballet Competition in 2013 and 2014 and was offered a spot in the Washington Ballet Studio Company in Washington D.C, where she performed for two years.
Another Syracuse native, Evelyn Kocak, will be the Evil Queen. At the age of 15 Kocak won a scholarship to The School of American Ballet before joining New York City Ballet as an apprentice in 2004. Ms. Kocak joined the Staatsballett Berlin as a member of the Corps de Ballet in 2006 and danced there for four seasons. She returned to the U.S. to join Pennsylvania Ballet for the 2010-2011 Season and was promoted to Soloist for the 2012-2013 season. Ms. Kocak has also danced with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet.
In the past two years, other Syracuse area dancers who have “come home” to perform in Syracuse City Ballet productions include Cincinnati Ballet’s Jake Casey and Ballet Met’s Peter Kurta. The company has also continued its tradition of bringing world class dancers to Syracuse audiences, such as Ana Sophia Schiller, of New York City Ballet, who starred in last year’s “Sleeping Beauty.”
Joining us a guest artist in Snow White, will be Daniel Baker, who trained at the School of American Ballet, was a finalist of Season 9 of “So You Think You Can Dance,” danced with Twyla Tharp and has performed with Miami City Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet. Also in the cast is David Block, who also trained at the School of American Ballet and dances with Los Angeles Ballet.
Tickets for “Snow White” are available at syracusecityballet.com or by calling the Oncenter box office at 315-435-2121. Prices range from $20 to $75 for adults, and all tickets for children 12 and under are just $10.
