Bangor Ballet to travel to France

Bangor Ballet is performing “The Little Mermaid” for its spring production.

Debuted in 2006 in Bangor and Deer Isle, “The Little Mermaid” is the story of a young mermaid’s adventures upon celebrating her 16th birthday. This original ballet was adapted from the Hans Christian Anderson story and choreographed by Bangor dancer Heinrick Snyder.

The local shows of “The Little Mermaid” feature Michelle Birmingham of Verona Island in the lead role of Cecilia and include a cast of 32 dancers from the Bangor area.

“The Little Mermaid” was presented on March 30, at the Center Theatre in Dover-Foxcroft and is set for 3 p.m. Sunday, April 6, at Ellsworth High School.

“The Little Mermaid” is being presented in these two Maine venues before taking the show on the road to France.

Seventeen dancers from Bangor Ballet’s junior and senior corps will premiere “The Little Mermaid” in Lunay, France on April 20 as part of a cultural exchange in collaboration with dancers from Dance d’Expression of Vendome, France.

The performance will be the highlight of a long year filled with fundraising, hard work, dreams and excitement. The Bangor dancers will live in the homes of the French dancers while working together on “The Little Mermaid” and exploring the Loire Valley.

After the performance, Bangor Ballet’s dancers will spend four days in Paris. The second half of the cultural exchange will take place in the spring of 2009, when the French dancers will travel to Bangor to present another collaborative ballet and explore Maine and New England.

Tickets for “The Little Mermaid” are $5 for students, $10 for adults. Tickets are available at Thomas School of Dance, 14 State St., Bangor and The Grasshopper Shop, 124 Main St., Ellsworth. For information, call 945-3457.