The Snow Queen

Let me begin by stating up front that I am not a ballet guy.

One reason I started this blog was so that I could explore the themes and tropes that I find in in the stories within the geek culture and see how they relate to what Tolkien referred to as “the True Myth.”  So I enjoy speculative fiction – science fiction, fantasy and the like.  Those themes are indeed present in many, if not most of the great stories – redemption, self-sacrifice, heroism the overwhelming power of good over the seductive yet ultimately self-defeating temptation of evil.

Speaking of Tolkien, he found much of the inspiration for his great masterpieces from what he called “fairy stories,” tales told and retold by Andrew Lang, the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson.  One Anderson story, The Snow Queen, has been adapted by a troupe called Ballet Magnificat, a group based in Jackson, Mississippi by Kathy and Keith Thibodeaux. Kathy is the 1982 Silver Medalist at the II USA International Ballet Competition. Keith is a former child actor who played ‘Little Ricky’ on I Love Lucy and was the drummer for the band David and the Giants. Keith and Kathy see Ballet Magnificat as a way to glorify God through the arts.

This was my second year to see  Ballet Magnificat’s presentation of The Snow Queen. At this point, let me state once again that I am not a ballet guy. Having said that, Ballet Magnificat tells an engaging, scripturally rich tale of good versus evil, the commitment love and friendship, sacrifice and redemption.  This is an adaptation of the Anderson tale, but it is not as loose an interpretation as you might think, and the visuals they use to communicate the message as stunning.

Still not a ballet guy, but I would see this again.

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