(Perry Sarkisian | sark video)
‘Tis the season for dance troupes large and small all across the nation to focus their sugarplum-fueled energies on mounting productions of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker – with one exception, in our region. The Ulster Ballet Company decided to buck the trend 24 years ago and offer audiences an alternative, bringing to life in dance a timeless and seasonally relevant tale of how greed can stunt the human spirit. UBC’s original balletic version of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was choreographed by New York City Ballet veteran Sara Miot, and nowadays often features principal dancers who grew up in the troupe performing small roles.
The curtain goes up on Ulster Ballet Company’s annual production of A Christmas Carol at the Ulster Performing Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, November 30, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 1 and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, December 2. Tickets cost $25 general admission, $22 for seniors and UPAC/Bardavon members and $18 for children aged 12 and under. To order, call the box office at (845) 339-6088 or visit www.ticketmaster.com.
A Christmas Carol, Friday, Nov. 30, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1, 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 2, 2 p.m., $25/$22/$18, Ulster Performing Arts Center, 01 Broadway, Kingston, (845) 339-6088, www.ticketmaster.com