Symphony and ballet to share the stage at ‘A Night at the Ballet’ in Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS — On Saturday, March 16, the Idaho Falls Symphony will present A Night at the Ballet, with local musicians and dancers sharing the stage at the Frontier Center for the Performing Arts.

“The time has finally come. We have been working towards this performance for many months,” IFS Music Director and Conductor Thomas Heuser said in a news release. “The concept was to heighten the experience of these iconic orchestral suites by adding live dance. Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky are masters of their craft, and we play their music often without dancers, but the physical component translates the compelling music into a sublime physical narrative.”

Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite is a groundbreaking 20th-century score brimming with mysterious moods and memorable melodies. The dancers will be featured in Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake Ballet, one of the greatest masterpieces of the Russian ballet tradition.

“Audiences will be treated to an unforgettable evening of exquisite dance music,” according to the news release.

Concert-goers can also enjoy a free pre-concert conversation called Prologues, starting at 6:30 p.m., with highlights and insights about the music and dance provided by conductor Thomas Heuser.

The Idaho Falls School of Ballet was established in 1994 by their current director and frequent Symphony collaborator, Deborah Bean. The IFSB provides a complete education in classical ballet, and graduates have gone on to careers with Houston Ballet, Ballet West, Odyssey Dance Theatre and Central West Ballet. The full-time faculty members at IFSB come from diverse backgrounds and are experienced in many areas. For more information about the Idaho Falls School of Ballet, visit its website.

Tickets for the event are on sale now on the symphony’s website. Tickets range from $20 to $50. Discounts are available for students. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

Sponsors for A Night at the Ballet include the Willard Charitable Foundation; Ken Krell & Alice Pike; Brian Briscoe, Streamline Capitol; and Robyn Gaskill, in special memory of Jay Gaskill.