Eleni Koenka takes the stage and with passion tells the story of Medea – a woman whose passion for her lover leads her far from home. When he betrays her in favor of a royal bride, she lashes out in a fit of brutal, bloody revenge.

Though Koenka speaks in Greek, the torment and the rage are evident. When she leaves to make way for dancers Maureen Lynch, William Kane and Sarah Breau, as Medea, Jason and the princess, no words are necessary. They move with such poignancy, such emotion, that the audience feels the stirring of love, the sting of jealousy and the wrath of a scorned woman.

In artistic director Keith Robinson’s hands, Euripedes’ classic drama “Medea” comes to life through dance, with the corps de ballet in the role of the Greek chorus and a talented cast of actor-dancers. His piece “Kantikos Agonias (Song of Agony)” is one of many highlights in Robinson Ballet’s Spring Dance Concert, which opens this weekend in Ellsworth before coming to Bangor next weekend.

“With my ballets, I like to be dramatic,” Robinson said recently during a dress rehearsal at River City Dance Center in Bangor. “Each one has their own character, their own feelings.”

Robinson has a background in theater, and in his spare time, he acts in local productions. For “Kantikos Agonias,” he asked each dancer to read the play and use that as a starting point to develop his or her role.

“The dancing is kind of limited, but when I do get out there, every step has to mean something,” Kane, 24, said. “The corps [de ballet] is the story. I’m the exclamation point. Well, me, Maureen and Sarah, of course.”

For the tragic final scene, Kane channels the emotions he felt when his father died, and he imagines how he would feel if he were to lose his girlfriend of a year, to help him portray an authentic reaction.

“I try to develop, try to create,” Kane said. “I’m trying to make it evolve constantly. He constantly evolves into a deeper character. … In order for the audience to take it seriously, I have to sell it.”

The show isn’t all serious drama, however. In fact, the rest of the dancing, including a modern piece by Stevie Dunham set to Ray Charles’ “Mess Around,” is downright jubilant. For this year’s concert, Robinson Ballet has teamed up with Blue Hill-based Planet Pan steel drum band, which will perform everything from classical to calypso tunes.

“It’s hard to just stand and listen to them and not move,” Lynch said. “You can almost feel the drums.”

During last weekend’s dress rehearsal, the dancers were clearly feeling the steel drum beat. Some dressed in vibrant skirts, others wearing floaty, pale blue costumes, they glided across the floor – and through the air – as they tried to capture the motion of kites dancing on the breeze. It worked.

Though Avi Milder was among the cast of “Flying High,” it wasn’t his favorite piece of the day.

“The most interesting part is Terry’s piece,” Milder, 12, admitted as he passed out kites to his fellow fliers. “He always does something neat.”

And this spring’s concert is no exception for choreographer Terry Lacy’s finale, “The Fountain.” The piece centers on an inflatable swimming pool, and several dancers have pails full of water at their disposal. Things get a little wet, and a lot wild, onstage.

“When you have a new prop in your hand, it extends the choreography. It makes it new because you’ve never dealt with it before,” Lacy said. “You get a genuine reaction on their faces. No one has to act anymore. It’s just what it is.”

And it is as fun as a day at the pool. Minus the sunburn.

Kristen Andresen can be reached at 990-8287 and kandresen@bangordailynews.net.

Robinson Ballet?s Spring Dance

Concert

Details: 7 p.m. Friday, April 29; 2 p.m. Saturday, April 30, at The Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth, call 667-9500 for reservations. Also, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 6 and 7, at Bangor Opera House, call 989-7226 for reservations.

Tickets: $14 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for students under 18.