The Ballet Spooktacular is a Treat at The Kate

Enjoy family-friendly fun at the Kate with Eastern Connecticut Ballet on Oct. 28-29

The eighth annual “Ballet Spooktacular” at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook, Conn., is an early Halloween celebration for both children and their parents. Eastern Connecticut Ballet (ECB) will present six performances Oct. 28 - 29. The celebration kicks off with a sensory friendly performance on Saturday at 11:30am for families with children who benefit from sensory accommodations.

Dancers and audiences alike are in the spotlight for the “Spooktacular” since children are invited to attend in costume. Girls and boys parade onstage after the show, then trickor-treat throughout the decorated theater and pose for photographs with the dancers. The “Spooktacular” showcases several short ballet works that capture the spirit of Halloween. Artistic Director Gloria Govrin and Executive Director Krystin Dixon choreographed these three works specifically for the event.

“We’ve created a new tradition at The Kate, and children absolutely love it,” says Govrin, a former soloist with the New York City Ballet. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” relates the tale of a little boy who gets in over his head when playing with magic spells. The lively classical score was made popular by a scene in Walt Disney’s animated film classic, “Fantasia.” “Dancing Bones” features dancers as glow-inthe-dark skeletons, but the work is more fun than frightening. The hauntingly beautiful “Halloween Waltz,” with dancers draped in long white veils, was inspired by the music of Camille Saint-Saëns. ECB’s Ballet Spooktacular of years past have been a sell out! Tickets are likely to perform a disappearing act once again, so don’t hesitate to purchase seats! Tickets ($20 adults; $14 for children age 12 and under) are available from The Kate box in Old Saybrook, by phone 877-503-1286, or online at http://katharinehepburntheater.org.

Founded in East Lyme in 1992, the nonprofit Eastern Connecticut Ballet is the shoreline’s premiere schools for dance education. ECB offers an annual performance of “The Nutcracker,” (December 9-10, 2023) at the Garde Arts Center in New London and other family-friendly events year-round.