'Enchanted Evening' at Fellows gardens

The fundraiser will benefit the ballet and Fellows Riverside Gardens.
By L. CROW
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ballet Western Reserve will present its second annual "Enchanted Evening at the Gardens" on Friday at the Davis Center at Fellows Riverside Gardens in Mill Creek Park. This elegant fundraiser will benefit both organizations.
The evening begins with a cocktail hour, where guests can enjoy the music of harpist Kirk Kupensky, as they sample hors d'oeuvres and fine wines and champagne, provided by Chalet Premier Wines, one of the sponsors of the event. Providing the weather cooperates, people may socialize on the terrace and partake of the beautiful outdoor surroundings.
Raffle prizes
"We will also be selling raffle tickets for a most unusual 'elegant raffle,'" said Anita Lin, artistic director for BWR. "All proceeds will go to benefit the children's programs at Fellows Riverside Gardens and the scholarship fund at BWR." Five major prizes will be raffled. One is a weeklong stay at a luxury condo in Fort Myers, Fla. There will also be two elegant Nanette Lepore cocktail dresses. Lepore is a New York fashion designer who is from Youngstown. "One dress is called 'Tie-Me-Up,' and is black, size 4, worth $400," said Lin. "The other is an empress dress in pink rose, size 8, worth $500."
Other raffle prizes include a year's tuition at BWR, worth $1,375, and a collection of garden plants, including a small tree, flowering shrubs, and an assortment of perennials from the Gardens, worth $300.
Guest will then move downstairs for the dance performance. This year's theme is based on a book by Cicely Mary Barker called "The Complete Book of Flower Fairies."
"It is a book filled with beautiful illustration of Victorian fairies, each followed by a poem," said Lin.
"Ten fairies will be portrayed in seven different pieces," Lin continued. "Linda Terrell, the company seamstress, has created the costumes to resemble the drawings in Barker's book. Each fairy represents a particular flower."
Ballet descriptions
Lin has choreographed three of the ballet pieces. The "Harebell Fairy" will be performed by three company members, in cream-colored dresses, accompanied by a classical harp recording. James McClellan will sing the folk tune "Lavender's Blue" accompanied by a Gary Kekel recording for the "Lavender Fairy," and the "Fuchsia Fairy and Elfin Piper" will be a pas de deux.
Jennifer Pirtz has choreographed the fourth ballet, which uses the apprentice and younger company members, portraying "Forget-Me-Nots."
Karen Westerfield's modern choreography brings the "Poppy Fairy" to life with eight dancers in bright red dresses. Tracy Schuler has chose a collection of songs by Gershwin, Ellington and Benny Goodman in her tap piece, "Foxglove and Ragged Robin."
"We will end with a really different hip-hop piece," said Lin. "The fairies are pictured as tough little boys, which lends itself to the hip-hop style." The flowers are "Ribwort Plantain and Willow-Catkin [pussy willow]."
After the performance, the Latin band Conjunto Riquena will provide dance music to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. Raffle winners will be drawn and there will be champagne and sweets, including two chocolate fountains, one dark and one white.
The event begins at 7 p.m. Black-tie is admired but not required. For tickets, call (330) 744-1934.