By L. CROW

By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Ballet Western Reserve is reviving a ballet that director Anita Lin wrote for the group nine years ago. "The Wizard of Oz" will be presented at Powers Auditorium for two performances on Nov. 12.
"The ballet is based on the book by L. Frank Baum, rather than the movie," said Lin. "So people will not be hearing their favorite songs, like 'Over the Rainbow.'" But, Lin said, that also allows people to take a fresh look at this ballet, and not compare it to what they are familiar with. She said when it was performed nine years ago, even people who were skeptical ended up raving about it.
"We will be using the same music, but different choreography," Lin said. "Gary Sexton at WYSU is such a big help when I write these ballets. He gives me hundreds of CDs to listen to that he thinks would be appropriate. From there, I spend hours listening to pick out the ones I want." She said it originally took her about two months just to decide on the music, and that she was inspired by the creativity and feelings of the movie.
Getting it right
Unlike many of BWR's other ballets which contain a mix or fusion of several different dance styles, this one will be strictly ballet, with the exception of the tap dancing Tin Man and evil flying monkeys. Some of the composers whose music will be used include Khachaturian, Prokofiev, Satie, Debussy, Resphighi and Grieg, all from the late 1800s through 1900s.
"Jane Hill will be our narrator for the performance," said Lin. "She will be interpreting what the characters are saying, and she changes her voice with each different character. This ballet will be especially accessible to people who may not regularly go to ballets: small children, the elderly, dads. Everyone will be able to understand it."
Jennifer Pirtz choreographs the younger children in roles such as the munchkins and Tracy Schuler choreographs the tap sections. There are 85 in the cast all together. Dancers will be portraying everything from main characters, to the cyclone, to the yellow brick road.
Delighted Dorothy
Kathryn Young, a Boardman senior who is playing Dorothy, has been with BWR since third grade. She said she loves the ballet in general, and especially the opening scene. "It is so much like the movie," she said. "The set and costumes are in black and white. The cyclones will be dancing to 'Sabre Dance' and they twirl the house. Miss Gulch turns into the Wicked Witch."
Young gives high praise to 8-year old McKenna Ozenghar, who plays Toto.
"She has been here with us since day one, to all the three-hour rehearsals,' she said. "She has caught on so fast, and knows all the steps, sometimes better than I do. And Beth Clowes, who plays Glinda, is gorgeous to watch, so light and airy -- she really embodies the music."
Young said the Wicked Witch scenes are especially scary, and that the witch, who is a surreal green, stalks her and Toto. One of the bigger challenges for her is the tap dancing Tin Man scene. "Tracy tried to involve all the characters, so everyone onstage is doing tap," she said. "It has been a while since I've taken tap. But the audience will lose themselves in the story line, and this scene will bring a smile to everyone's face."
Lin said there is little in the way of sets. But there are lots of props, including Glinda's wand, the disappearing legs of the witch, and a huge hourglass.