Hannah and Gretchen: A Ballet for All Ages Leaps Into Hannah Community Center

Above: Several of the dancers pose for the end of the Candy Shop Scene.

In a modern twist on Hansel and Gretel, the Studio for Performing Arts brings the family-friendly dance performance ‘Hannah and Gretchen’ to the Hannah Community Center this Friday night and Saturday.

Hannah and Gretchen are two teenagers with busy parents and a very annoying younger sister. They think that they know it all and can do anything they want, so they head out to the school dance instead of watching their little sister, and are grounded by their parents. So they decide to run off into the forest - but what they don’t realize is that it is a magical forest. This forest is bursting with mysterious creatures and wacky things.

After having a run-in with the manipulative and powerful Trickster, as well as the greedy Candy Store owner, the sisters lose each other in the forest, and must find their way back to each other with the new friends they’ve made along the way; a Pond Fairy, a Woodland Fairy with her tiny woodland friends, and the Little Red, Purple, and Blue Riding Hoods (who are running from the Big Bad Wolf). The girls soon learn that everyone is running from something, and it’s best to face your problems one step at a time.

Christen Chapelle, who can be seen on stage as the Big Bad Wolf, is excited to be a part of the show. When asked what her favorite part of the show is, she thought hard for a moment before saying, “I love how creative it is, and I think it sets us as a dance studio apart from others.”

Mosey Rojewski, a dancer playing many different roles, including a piece of candy in the Candy Shop, is excited about the many different scenes. She says that her favorite scene is the “Dramatic Scene”, as she calls it, because “it has fun music to dance to!”

Mosey encourages people to come see the show. “It’s really fun to watch, and it’s an original, so you can’t really see it anywhere else,” she says.

Christen also has a message for people who are considering coming to the show: “I think it’s just so funny, and it’s such an interesting show, and it’s a really good time!”

The show will be premiering at the Hannah Community Center, located at 819 Abbott Road in East Lansing, on Friday, January 12, at 7:00pm, and Saturday, January 13, at 2:00pm. Tickets are $10 per person and can be bought at hannahgretchen.eventbrite.com, or at the door prior to the show.