Ballet Ariel welcomes the holidays with a fresh, new way to celebrate the season. “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” ballet is based on the popular book by C.S. Lewis, with original choreography by Director Ilena Norton and battle scenes choreographed by Gregory Gonzales.

Presenting “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” for Ballet Ariel’s holiday production is a big leap since productions of “The Nutcracker” abound this time of year. However, as Norton explains, despite the popularity of previous “Nutcracker” productions, the change offers benefits to both the company and the audience.

“Ballet Ariel’s mission is to create original ballets so the opportunity to present ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’ for our 2023 holiday production allows us to do that during this festive time of year,” says Norton. “Also, because this is our 25^th Anniversary year, we wanted to do something really special for the holidays to celebrate!”

The story of “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe,” beloved by children and adults alike, is set in the 1940s. The ballet begins when four siblings, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter, visit the Old Professor and discover an empty room with a large wardrobe. Young Lucy opens the wardrobe door and steps in. Her brother Edmund follows her as they find themselves in a wintery forest of another world.

A series of adventures begin that include an umbrella-carrying faun, an evil White Witch, a beaver couple, a kind-hearted lion, and myriad other characters. They, along with the siblings, engage in a mystical battle of good over evil. Although the White Witch traps the group in a seemingly endless winter, the great lion Aslan, Merry Father Christmas and the promise of spring arriving brings beauty and hope to the holiday season.

In ballet form, “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” is an exciting adventure, beautifully set to dance, with creative costumes and sets. Aslan and other animal masks are created by George Peters at Air Works Studio in Boulder.

This holiday-season production is being performed as part of Ballet Ariel’s celebrated Silver Anniversary. It runs the following dates and locations:

November 29 – Lone Tree Arts Center. Tickets – Adults, $31-$41; Seniors and Students, $29-$39; Children 12 and under, $26-$36.

Dec. 8, 9 and 10 – Lakewood Cultural Center. Tickets – $30-40 Adult, $25-35 Senior/student, $20-30 Children.

Dec. 22 and 23 – DL Parsons Theatre. Tickets – $20-$40.

For information on purchasing tickets, please visit the Ballet Ariel website at www.balletariel.org or call 303-945-4388.