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Ballet From The Bay Oakland Troupe Brings ‘Secret Garden’ To Beasley Coliseum

By Susan English susane@spokesman.com

Story ballets are the financial bread and butter for dance companies. Mixed repertoire and contemporary ballets are more stimulating and sometimes more interesting, but it’s “The Nutcrackers” the “Romeo and Juliets” that pay the bills. They sell tickets and that’s why a lot of companies tour their story ballets.

Oakland Ballet is no exception.

The California dance troupe is taking “The Secret Garden” on a national tour. It comes to Pullman for a single performance Monday night at Beasley Coliseum.

Oakland Ballet artistic director Ronn Guidi choreographed the ballet to music by Edward Elgar. Guidi based the dance on the Frances Hodgson Burnett story of the same name, written in 1909 and set in Victorian-era England.

The main character is Mary Lennox, who was raised in India until orphaned by a cholera epidemic. She is sent to live with an uncle on a remote estate in Yorkshire, England. As she begins to unlock the secrets of the manor and its garden, Mary, too, is transformed. The neglected garden stirs to life under the secret stewardship of Mary and two new friends.

The story, which is suitable for children but has ageless themes, also has been made into a play, a movie and an award-winning musical.

Oakland Ballet tours extensively and last year performed before more than 60,000 people. The company will also present a lecture-demonstration titled “Dancers as Athletes” for area elementary school children at 1 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum; that event is free for the children and is not open to the general public.

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MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Ballet Oakland Ballet will perform “The Secret Garden” Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. Tickets are $25, $20 and $16 for adults; $25, $16 and $10 for students; and $25, $12 and $8 for children younger than 12. Tickets are available at the Beasley box office and The Depot in Pullman; at the UI ticket office in Moscow; Albertson’s in Lewiston; and through G&B Select-a-Seat, 325-SEAT or (800) 325-SEAT.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Ballet Oakland Ballet will perform “The Secret Garden” Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman. Tickets are $25, $20 and $16 for adults; $25, $16 and $10 for students; and $25, $12 and $8 for children younger than 12. Tickets are available at the Beasley box office and The Depot in Pullman; at the UI ticket office in Moscow; Albertson’s in Lewiston; and through G&B; Select-a-Seat, 325-SEAT or (800) 325-SEAT.