Friday, June 11 at 4:00pm and 6:30pm
FREE outdoors
Science Museum of Minnesota | 120 West Kellogg Blvd. | St Paul, MN 55102
St. Paul Ballet will take to the open air on Friday, June 11, for its first public performances since December of 2019.
Come join our living garden on the plaza at the Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd. at 4:00 and 6:30 p.m.
We are thrilled to be in front of a live audience again after 18 months,” Lori Gleason, Executive Director.
Three works will be presented in this 30-minute performance so bring a blanket or lawn chair and enjoy “Le Jardin Anime” from Le Corsaire set by:
• choreographer in residence Helen Hatch
• original work “Demain Veindra” by local choreographer Da’Rius Malone
• “Petra and the Wolf” from Alejandra Iannone and teachers of SPB.
Admission is FREE, and KTown Street Foods Truck —known for Minnesota’s original Kimchi fries—will be parked out front.
Plan the afternoon and enjoy the museum before or after a performance.
Make sure to reserve tickets in advance: smm.org/tickets
The Program
Demain Viendra
Original work set on SPB dancers by choreographer Da’Rius Malone
Music: Max Richter: Vivialdi, The Four Seasons: Winter 1
Petra and the Wolf
From Alejandra Iannone and teachers Jennifer Mack and Leta Triebold
Music: Sergei Prokofiev
Le Jardin Anime from Le Corsaire
Staged by resident choreographer Helen Hatch
Music: Adolphe Adam
You can expect the best from St. Paul Ballet!
The Story of Petra and the Wolf, an adaption by St. Paul Ballet
Once upon a time, there was a young, happy child named Petra. She lived with her Grandmother in a house at the edge of a vast, green meadow. Early one morning, she snuck away to go exploring.
A friendly Bird and her flock perched on the branch of a great oak. They sang merrily down to Petra, “All safe, all is quiet.”
From the east side of the meadow Petra saw a Mama Duck and her parade of ducklings. They waddled down the slope, jumped into the glistening, blue pond and began frolicking in the water. Seeing the Duck, the Bird flew down, alighting on the reeds.
She asked, “What kind of Bird are you if you can’t fly?”
“What kind of Bird are you,” replied the Duck, “if you can’t swim?”
The arguing bird and the duck didn’t notice the Cat prowling through the meadow smiling a hungry smile. The Cat thought, “The Bird is busy quarreling, I’ll just grab her…” Quietly, she crept forward on her velvet paws.
The cat pounced and missed! Try as she might, she couldn’t catch any of the ducklings or baby birds as they escaped.
Out of the forest came a great, grey Wolf. The other animals didn’t see her, but she was headed right for them! But Petra saw the wolf and shouted, “Run!”
In the panic, the Cat scrambled up the tree, the Bird flew and the quacking Duck jumped right out of the pond. The Duck, who could not climb, quickly waddled towards the thicket with the Wolf right on her tail. Petra and her animal friends couldn’t look!
“What have you done?” hissed the Cat.
“You hurt the Duck!” trilled the Bird.
“I did no such thing,” growled the Wolf.
“But you’re licking your paw like a cat that has eaten a bird!” shouted Petra.
“I’m licking my paw because… I have a thorn in it.”
Ha!” cried the Bird. “Hmmm,” said the Cat.
“Let’s see,” said Petra who bravely approached the Wolf. “Why, there is a thorn!” and she pulled it out as quickly as she could.
Just then, from the thicket emerged…Forest Rangers holding yellow feathers. “We found these in the forest,” they called out. “Those are the Duck’s feathers,” cried the Bird, “oh, no!“
The Forest Rangers swiftly encircled the Wolf. One of the Rangers exclaimed, “We must catch the wolf that has eaten the duck!
“But I didn’t,” cried the Wolf. “Stop!” exclaimed Petra, “It was a thorn in the Wolf’s paw that made her growl and snap at us!”
“You can’t fool me…” meowed the Cat. “Preposterous,” chirped the Bird. “Unlikely,” murmured the doubting Forest Rangers.
Just then, the Duck waddled out of the thicket, smoothing her feathers that hadn’t been caught in the branches. Everyone was flabbergasted!
“Yay!!” cheered Petra. “Yay!” meowed the Cat. “Yay,” twittered the Bird. “What did I miss?” quacked the Duck.
“Do you believe me now?” wondered the Wolf.
“Let’s celebrate our new friend!” exclaimed Petra. Their distrust vanished, and they all laughed and sang…the watchful Rangers, the flock of Birds, the parade of Ducks, the clever Cat, and… Petra and the Wolf.