By D.A. Reed, WKTV Contributing Writer

The talented young dancers of the Grand Rapids Ballet School’s junior company were all set to “recreate” the ballet “Aladdin” back in 2020, and then like many stages, their’s went dark as the pandemic dropped its curtain.

And while that moment was bitter for cast and crew, young and old, “Aladdin” will finally fly in, starting this weekend — with a special tea party available.

The ballet school’s junior company will take the stage March 11-13 and March 19-20 at Peter Martin Wege Theatre to “share the familiar story of ‘Aladdin’, an impoverished boy living in Agrabah who falls in love with the beautiful Princess Jasmine.”

Choreographed by Grand Rapids Ballet School (GRBS) Director and Junior Company Artistic Director Attila Mosolygo, the ballet “Aladdin” was inspired from the folktale in the book, “One Thousand and One Nights.” The adventure features a thrilling quest with mysterious characters along the way including a fierce dragon, a magic genie, and a powerful sorcerer.

“It will be an amazing production of dancing and performance,” Mosolygo told WKTV.

This production, actually, has been two years in the making after GRBS had to cancel their planned performance on opening night in March 2020 due to the pandemic.

“The students have been working extremely hard the past three months helping me recreate this ballet and they are thrilled to be given this second chance to perform it,” Mosolygo said in supplied material.

Keeping ‘Aladdin’ ready to fly

The path to this opening night, however, was not an easy one.

The planned opening night of “Aladdin” in 2020 was one that GRBS dancer Serafina Wagneveld remembers well.

“There we were, at the height of excitement, ready to go,” said Wagenveld, who will perform the role of Jasmine in the 2022 production. “At the beginning of the day we still didn’t know if we would go on.”

Then came the announcement that “Aladdin” would be postponed.

“Even then, we didn’t fully grasp what was happening,” Wagenveld said. “We were sad but hadn’t lost hope.”

As the pandemic continued, however, it became obvious that the performance GRBS Junior Company had worked so hard for would not be taking the stage anytime soon.

Mosolygo told WKTV that, due to pandemic restrictions, it was more than five weeks before he was allowed back into the building after the cancellation. Walking on stage with every curtain ready to be pulled, every prop in place, Mosolygo said — “I could almost hear the music — but nothing happened.”

 

Online classes began but were difficult for the dancers, many of them improvising in their homes by performing ballet on stairwells and on kitchen counters. “It was all new and we were doing our best,” said Wagenveld.

Mosolygo said he noticed a definite shift in the mindset of students over the last two years.

“Virtual classes work in some ways, and they don’t in others. When you come to an art form that is so hands-on, to try to learn anything off your iPhone, off your tablet, off your computer — over time it’s not fun. Their attention and willpower went away.”

Wagenveld personally felt the hardship of the ongoing pandemic — “There was nothing you could be sure of anymore.”

Because of the mental and emotional toll, the dancer decided last year to take a break from dancing. But she couldn’t stay away for long.

“It wasn’t long before I came back,” said Wagenveld. “It (dancing) brings out my creativity. It is a unique way of expressing myself that not all people get to experience.”

And the junior company’s leader understands his dancer perfectly.

“Ballet is an art form, a self-expression of who you are,” Mosolygo said. “Dancing goes beyond words.”

Through the hardships the pandemic brought, Wagenveld and her classmates were able to find a silver lining. And the ability to have in-person classes again this school year and the chance to perform “Aladdin” has created excitement among the dancers and staff, healing some of the heartbreak that came with having to set aside the performance two years ago.
 

“We are more appreciative of what we have, not taking them for granted,” Wagenveld said.

Tea with Aladdin & Jasmine

For an added experience, GRBS Junior Company is hosting Aladdin & Jasmine’s Royal Tea, a “unique and memorable event, fit for both princes and princesses alike,” on Sunday, March 13, at the Grand Rapids Downtown Market in the Greenhouse space. 

The event features a photo booth, a meet and greet with “Aladdin” characters,” a kid-friendly craft, all topped off with a brunch built for kids and adults. After the Royal Tea, attendees will travel to the land of Agrabah at Peter Martin Wege Theatre to experience the thrills of “Aladdin” beginning at 2 p.m.

Tickets for “Aladdin” are available now for $18 online, via phone at (616) 454-4771 ext. 10, or in-person at GRB’s Box Office. Tickets to Aladdin & Jasmine’s Royal Tea are available for $49 per person.

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