Montana Ballet Company: Un/Dead and Un/Forgiven

The program includes the world premiere of The Raven, choreographed by Sasha
Janes, Dracula, Act II of Giselle, and special guest lobby ambassadors from the Montana Raptor Conservation Center, Pilgrim the Turkey Vulture and Bu the Great Horned Owl.
“We are thrilled to open our season with an evening that explores the darker, more mysterious side of ballet. From the world premiere of The Raven to the gothic drama of Dracula and the haunting beauty of Giselle, each work brings a different story to life.
This program is a wonderful opportunity for audiences to experience the power of ballet to transport us into worlds that are both beautiful and unsettling just in time for Halloween.” ~ MBC Artistic Director Melissa Bowman.
Janes, Professor of Music in Ballet at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and Artistic Director of Chautauqua Dance, commented "Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven is a captivating narrative that delves into the profound human experience of grief. It is a poignant exploration of the consequences of an obsessive fixation on memory and the
distortion of reality that ensues when the inability to let go becomes a consuming force. I am thrilled to explore these themes through movement and glorious music.”
Dracula, inspired by Bram Stoker’s classic horror novel, brings the world of the
legendary vampire to the stage through dramatic choreography, eerie music, and a dark atmosphere. This excerpt follows Dracula and his brides as they seduce and torment their victims, as well as his fateful encounter with Lucy, drawing audiences into the dark and mysterious world of Transylvania and Victorian England. Combining classical ballet
with otherworldly movement and dramatic lighting, Dracula captures the seductive, dangerous, and supernatural essence of the story.
In Act II of Giselle, the heartbroken young village girl returns as one of the Wilis, ghostly spirits of women betrayed before their wedding days. When her former lover, the nobleman Albrecht, encounters the Wilis and faces their deadly revenge, Giselle’s enduring love and forgiveness ultimately save him. Blending dramatic storytelling with ethereal choreography, Giselle remains one of classical ballet’s most poignant and enduring masterpieces.