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 25th 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.

ABOUT BALLET ARIEL
Ballet Ariel was founded in 1998 by Artistic and Executive Director Ilena Norton. Now entering its 25th year of performance, Ballet Ariel has evolved into a laboratory for developing original classical ballets, a collaborative environment where the beauty of classical ballet comes together with narrative storytelling and a contemporary vision. This professional company is known for its graceful and elegant, yet dynamic, choreography and staging.
Located in Denver at the Denver Dance Center, 2496 W. 2nd Ave., #3 in Denver, the company employs twelve professional dancers under Rehearsal Director Oleg Dedogryuk and Ballet Master Patricia Renzetti. Ballet Ariel’s repertoire features original ballets such as “Ballerina by Degas,” “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” and “Tale of Molly Brown” along with classical works including “The Nutcracker,” “La Fille Mal Gardee,” and “Les Sylphides.” Ballet Ariel emphasizes diversity in its company and education programs and offers an eclectic repertoire to attract broad spectrum audiences and participants. Ballet Ariel has performed at the Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre since 1998, and now performs regularly at the Lakewood Cultural Center, the Schoolhouse Theater and the PACE Center in Parker, the Parsons Theatre at Northglenn Recreation Center and the Pinnacle Performing Arts Center. Ballet Ariel has also performed throughout the Denver metro area in the SCFD Summerfest series at the Arvada Center, the Cherry Hills Winter Cultural series, the Denver Ballet Guild Showcase of Dance, the Mile High Dance Festival, the Denver Botanic Gardens SCFD series and others. Ballet Ariel has performed on tour in Leadville at the Tabor Opera House, Durango, and with Artcore in Casper, Wyoming.
Ballet Ariel receives funding from Denver, Jefferson, Adams, and Douglas Counties through the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD), Colorado Creative Industries, and Denver Ballet Guild. The Covid Relief Fund received from Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and The Denver Foundation help to make this production possible.
For more information, visit www.balletariel.org or call (303) 945-4388.