Ballet companies are always looking for new and exciting ways to present their art forms to the public. From established yearly works like “The Nutcracker” and “Swan Lake” to more adventurous works that turn non-traditional music into exciting dance, the world of ballet is ever-evolving. Atlantic City Ballet, which just celebrated its 40th anniversary season in 2022, is one company that never stops looking for new ways to connect with its audiences. Under the direction of artistic director Phyllis Papa, the company presents what Papa thinks is the first-ever ballet staging of the 1867 Modest Mussorgsky composition “Night on Bald Mountain,” a piece that is premiering just in time for Halloween. Papa was excited about her take on a classic piece often used in spooky commercials and other settings.
“In 2006, I created ‘Dracula’ for the ballet stage, but I wanted to make something that was for Halloween that children could enjoy,” Papa said. “I’m not saying it is not for adults, but I created it with children in mind.”
But before Atlantic City Ballet could produce new works like “Night on Bald Mountain,” the company started with humble beginnings as a seasonal organization that would host transient dancers for “The Nutcracker” and maybe one or two other productions per year. Papa started the company in 1982 with the mission to bring ballet to an area of New Jersey where the arts, specifically dance, have not been given preferential treatment in education or general interest. Papa commented on these early days and how things have changed for her and the company.
“I was asked by the wife of the CEO of Resorts Casino in Atlantic City if I would be interested in forming a ballet company there,” Papa said. “This was a great opportunity for me, but I said, ‘I would love to do that if I had the funding, but I’m not moving to Atlantic City [from New York] without any funding.’ So I was able to get a grant to start the ballet company and took 11 dancers from New York and came to Atlantic City.”
As the years have gone by, so has the ballet company’s mission, expanding from a seasonal organization with no permanent dancers to becoming a prominent force in ballet in the state of New Jersey.
Part of what Papa enjoys so much about being an artistic director and a choreographer is that she gets to program what she thinks will be the biggest successes in her community. “Night on Bald Mountain” is set to be an event specifically designed for families in the region so all can come out to the show and have a good time.
“What we think is going to be very successful is letting members of the audience come in costume,” Papa said. “We’ll have a costume contest, and the company members will actually judge the contest, and they will go away with something – tickets to other ballets, something from the boutique. So it’s just a safe night out where people can come in costume!”
Another element of the evening that Papa mentioned was that the entire evening would not just be the Mussorgsky piece as it has a run time of only about 30 minutes. Instead, the advertised program goes into the second half of the show whereas the first half will have over favorites tied directly into Halloween.
Papa hopes that this evening will be a gateway for families and specifically children exposing themselves to ballet, dance and the arts in general. This event is being advertised to families on social media platforms as a way to safely enjoy Halloween festivities in a new and unique way.
“The idea is that you come to something that you do not have to think about, it’s just a fun night, and you say, ‘Oh, I really enjoyed that. The company is really fun to watch and they do incredible things,” Papa said. “I just hope that they say that they will try something else. That’s our goal – we want to encourage people to come back and see another part of our season.”
Most importantly, Papa hopes that all who attend this fun evening will have a great time and leave learning something new. From the costume contest and kid’s activities to entertainment for the adults, Papa and the entire Atlantic City Ballet hope to attract a wide variety of audience members to enjoy what should be a magical night.
“Night on Bald Mountain” runs one night only, Friday, Oct. 25, at Caesars Palace (2100 Pacific Ave.) in Atlantic City. Curtain is at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available in advance from the ballet company’s website at acballet.org or by buying directly through the venue at Ticketmaster. Tickets are $48.50 for adults, $41.75 for seniors and $23.50 for children when purchased in advance. Atlantic City Ballet can be contacted at info@acballet.org with any questions.
