North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Matinee Magic Series opens
with Once Upon A Time
Familiar fairy tale stories with a hilarious twist!
September 19 & 20, 2009

Charlotte, N.C. – North Carolina Dance Theatre’s 2009-2010 Matinee Magic Series offers three family-friendly matinees. The world premiere of Mark Diamond’s Once Upon A Time, September 19 and 20, opens the Matinee Magic Series, which also includes Nutcracker in December and Cinderella in March.

Once Upon A Time begins with a grandfather reading classic bedtime stories to his young granddaughter. When the grandfather begins to fall asleep, the young girl’s imagination starts to run wild as her favorite fairy tale characters spring to life. The stories include “The Frog Prince,” “The Tortoise and the Hare,” “Jack and the Beanstalk,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Peter Pan.”

Choreographer Mark Diamond says the deeper the grandfather falls asleep, the more mixed up his stories become, with characters from the various fairy tales meeting each other and straying from their classic storylines.  

A variety of musical selections are used in Once Upon A Time, with the majority by composer Gioachino Rossini. Dancers from North Carolina Dance Theatre and North Carolina Dance Theatre 2, as well as trainees, apprentices and students from North Carolina Dance Theatre School of Dance appear in Once Upon A Time.   

Mark Diamond

Mark Diamond has choreographed and taught in Europe, Japan and the United States since retiring from the Hamburg Staatsoper in Germany in 1983. He has choreographed over 30 ballets for NC Dance Theatre and is program director for NC Dance Theatre 2. In the summer he serves as associate artistic director and resident choreographer for Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux at the Chautauqua Institute. Before joining Dance Theatre Diamond was resident choreographer for the Cincinnati Opera, founded Ballet Artists Cincinnati, and received grants from the Ohio Arts Council, the New England Foundation for the Arts and others.

Season Subscriptions

Once Upon A Time is part of the Matinee Magic Series. Matinee Magic Subscribers meet characters after each performance, take home a free poster signed by the dancers and enjoy a complimentary snack. Matinee Magic Subscriptions for the 2009-2010 Season are currently available, in addition to NC Dance Theatre’s standard subscription packages. Subscriptions are available online at ncdance.org, by phone at 704.335.1010 or in person at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Box Office. Matinee Magic Subscriptions start at $23.50 for children and $46 for adults.

Once Upon A Time Details  

Also in September

The 2009-2010 Season of Magnificent Moves kicks off in September with Ballet, Ballroom & Bluegrass in the Belk Theater from September 17-19. Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s Shindig returns to Charlotte for the first time in six years. Featuring live bluegrass music from Asheville’s The Greasy Beans, Shindig has received critical acclaim and experienced nationwide success. When NC Dance Theatre performed Shindig in New York City in 2004, an article in The New York Times proclaimed “A lively mix of toe shoes and bluegrass set the audience cheering at the Joyce Theater.”

Also on the program is Twyla Tharp’s ballroom-inspired Nine Sinatra Songs, with music by Frank Sinatra and costumes by Oscar de la Renta. Each dancer in Tharp’s work has a distinct personality, which fits well with the trademark diversity of NC Dance Theatre’s dancers. Rounding out the program is Alonzo King’s MAP, called “exquisitely crafted” and “gem-like” by The Charlotte Observer. MAP is a metaphor for the different paths individuals choose in life.

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North Carolina Dance Theatre has established itself as one of America’s premier dance companies. Led by internationally acclaimed President and Artistic Director Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, NC Dance Theatre is based on strong dancers, high energy and a versatile repertoire that ranges from classical ballet to bold contemporary works. NC Dance Theatre School of Dance parallels the professional company’s tradition of excellence.

North Carolina Dance Theatre broke ground on its new 34,000 square foot facility, the Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance, in April 2009. Located at 701 North Tryon Street, the facility will house the Company’s rehearsal and administrative spaces, School of Dance and costume shop. NC Dance Theatre expects to move into the Patricia McBride and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux Center for Dance in spring 2010, with a grand opening scheduled for fall 2010.     

North Carolina Dance Theatre is supported, in part, with operating support by the Arts & Science Council. Dance Theatre is also supported by individuals, corporations, and local and national foundations, the North Carolina Arts Council, ArtsTeach, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

This project is supported in part by an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Once Upon A Time is presented by McGuireWoods LLP.

Matinee Magic Series is presented by the Dale F. Halton Foundation. 

For more information visit ncdance.org.