It is one thing to watch Disney’s Frozen on DVD, another to experience it on ice and something else entirely to watch it come to life as a ballet performance. The Southern Ballet Theatre performed this popular animation through leaps and pirouettes at the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center, making it even more exciting and unique.
The performance was just like the movie; it opened with “Frozen Heart” and dancers twirled and jumped to most of the favorites that were in film such as “Let It Go,” “In Summer” and “Love is an Open Door.” Most of the main characters were featured in this adaptation. There was Anna, Elsa, their parents, Olaf, Hans, Kristoff and the trolls. Unfortunately, Sven, the reindeer, was one missing character. If he were included, he would have made this dance production even better. Although not a main character, the Duke of Weselton was also absent during the performance.
Besides two left-out characters, another interesting variation in the ballet was Olaf and Hans. In the film, Olaf was played by a male, but in the ballet, he was played by a woman. Even though that was unexpected, that is what made the ballet appealing and the reason why I liked Olaf even more. Hans also had an opposite appearance: he was African American, another twist in the ballet that was noteworthy and appreciated.
Though it was getting a bit repetitive, the dancing was spot-on. The most memorable performances were the trolls’ “Fixer Upper” group routine and Olaf’s “In Summer” act. These were amusing and were true to the film. The dancers portrayed the characters well, especially Olaf; her facial expressions sold the number while the trolls simply made me want dance with them. Overall, the dancing was enjoyable.
Sometimes it was even a bit painful to watch because the dancers were on the tips of their toes. Observing that really made me respect this art form and all the hard work the cast and choreographers put into creating this for Frozen fans.
The costumes in this dancers wore were pretty close to what they wore in the movie. Anna sported her purple cloak and braided ponytails, Elsa sparkled in the same gorgeous dress in “Let It Go” as she did in the film and Olaf wore a white tutu with diamonds.
Not only were the costumes similar, but the props were, too. There was fake snow, Elsa’s bedroom door that kept her separate from Anna and the ice castle that Elsa built. All of this helped to make the show impressive.
There was also a great audience; there were so many different age groups. Aside from myself, a twenty-one-year old, there were other adults there as well. Obviously, there were children; they dressed up in costumes, and one kid was even watching the movie before the ballet started.
After it ended, viewers could meet the performers who played the unforgettable characters; there was also a long table outside the auditorium where people could buy Frozen merchandise.
In all, the recital was really nice; everyone should try to go to a ballet at least once. Unfortunately though, the only show times for Frozen were from March 6 until March 8. However, the Gwinnett Performing Arts Center has other upcoming events available, such as Maleficent (May 9) and The Little Mermaid (May 15-17). Get your Disney on.
