Dance Alive presents Dracula, tonight!

Last night, we were lucky enough to be invited to catch a preview performance of Dance Alive National Ballet’s Dracula at the Phillips Center. As choreographer Kim Tuttle called queues from stage right, the lights went down, the curtain went up and we entered the diabolical world of Count Dracula, performed by the versatile Andre Valladon.

With vampires captivating pop culture recently, Dracula is an appropriate title this Halloween; however, Dance Alive’s ahead of the curve—they’ve been performing the eerie Victorian tale for 18 years. In it, it’s amazing to watch as about 30 company dancers (who only moments before joked about their white fang teeth or acrylic talons) become at turns gypsies, Brides of Dracula, pious English men and women, and more.

The set and lighting change often, and the intricate costumes and dramatic music contribute to every scene as we follow Jonathon Harker (played by Rostislav Dzabraev) from Transylvania to England in the nearly two-hour performance. Although we knew it was only make-believe, we were captivated in this ultimate tale of good versus evil—a definite Halloween treat.

Catch Dracula tonight (10/30) at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at 7pm. It is preceded by a Dracuween Kids’s Party at 6pm, in which children can enjoy a safe trick-or-treat ($15), and is followed by Dracula’s Halloween Costume Ball ($35). Call the box office at 352-392-2787 for tickets.

Photos by Sean Kelly