May 3—Go down the rabbit hole with Ballet Theatre of Scranton this weekend.

The dance school's senior company will present "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" on Friday, May 5, at 7 p.m. at the Theater at North, 1539 N Main Ave., Scranton. Tickets are available by visiting tututix.com or by calling 855-222-2849. For accessible or companion seating, call BTOS at 570-347-2867 and someone will assist with the ticket purchase.

The performance, which is part of BTOS' 65th anniversary celebration, is based on Lewis Carroll's book and an original creation by professional dancer Giovanni "Gio" Ravelo. Featured in the all-ages classic tale are Laura Durkin as Alice, Elizabeth Schneider as White Rabbit, Aubrey Gallagher as Queen of Hearts, Brennan Connor as the Mad Hatter and John Roman Vachino as the Cheshire Cat.

Earlier this year, Ravelo, who recently retired from Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo after a 13-year career, worked with the dancers from BTOS to stage the dance company's performance of "Wonderland." In theme with its source material, Ravelo's choreography is "fabulous, creative and whimsical," BTOS artistic director Joanne D. Arduino said. In honor of the anniversary, Arduino wanted to do an original work and as she spoke with Ravelo about it, he suggested "Alice in Wonderland."

"I had always been a fan of the Royal Ballet's version (of 'Alice in Wonderland') so I said that would be just fabulous," she said. "Through his choreography, Gio has really been able to capture the essence of Carroll's stories and this world."

In addition to Ravelo's movements, the piece is visually stunning, Arduino said. In order to take audiences on all of Alice's adventures, a team of creatives worked together to fully immerse viewers in her world, from the Mad Tea Party to the garden of the Queen of Hearts. This includes award-winning lighting designer and frequent BTOS collaborator Dennis M. Size, graphic designer Pete Salerno and Posture Interactive's Joey Zarcone.

For instance, when Alice drinks the potion and becomes small, it's difficult to convey that with just dance, she said. So, the door Alice enters will be projected behind her and it will grow taller to create the illusion that she's shrinking. Also, the Cheshire Cat will appear on the screen and wink before the dancer who portrays the Cheshire Cat arrives on stage.

"It's those touches that, when it all comes together, create this magical world," Arduino said, adding that Ravelo also researched the music of the time period Carroll was writing in and he chose pieces by Antonin Dvorak to score the ballet.

A native of Colombia, Ravelo began his ballet training at Anna Pavlova School in Bogotá. He also studied at the School of the National Ballet of Cuba, in the professional division of the Rock School for Dance Education, and was a member of National Ballet of Colombia. Ravelo performed with the Roxey Ballet Company Inc., and also choreographed several pieces for it. No stranger to Scranton, Ravelo performed with BTOS as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet" in 2003, and reprised the role for BTOS' 60th anniversary performances in 2018.

Arduino also noted that Ravelo originally came to Scranton with his mentor and BTOS guest choreographer, the late Ana Consuelo de Diaz, who also was a pupil of the late Henry Danton. Danton was Arduino's mentor so their connection was like kismet, Arduino said.

"I'm so proud to welcome back Gio but we have this very special connection," she said. "He did a wonderful job and we're excited for audiences to see it."

The company consists of all high school students, aside from Gallagher who is a University of Scranton student. While some members of the company are graduating seniors, Arduino noted most of the dancers are up-and-coming performers. Several BTOS senior and apprentice company dancers in "Wonderland" will attend intensive ballet summer programs in the U.S. and abroad. As BTOS celebrates six and half decades, its creative contributions to the region stems from the individuals who have danced, choreographed or in some way contributed their talents to the dance company.

"It's an incredible milestone and we're very excited to be able to celebrate it with a piece like this," she said.

Contact the writer:

gmazur@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9127;

@gmazurTT on Twitter