On your toes in Wonderland

2/22/2023

Ballet is known for placing the tip-toes in a precarious position while maintaining the fluidity of motion. It's about balance and gracefulness. "Alice in Wonderland" is a magical exploration of self-discovery in a confusing world of adults. It's a seeking of balance and grace.

The perfect combination for this year's Oil Region Ballet performances at the Academy Theatre in Meadville and the Barrow-Civic Theatre in Franklin.

The ORB company was formed in 2009 by Deb Femovich to "provide greater options for dancers with the skill level to perform on a pre-professional level and pair them with professional dancers in an environment of support and discipline," according to the group's website.

Two dancers in this year's performance exemplify this goal while overcoming some obstacles that could've prevented them from ever dancing again.

Meadville High School junior Elizabeth Hyatt is at the beginning of her dance career, though she is a five-year ORB veteran.

A year ago she was under the knife to remove a cyst in her brain. Hyatt said the doctors told her and her parents that if it kept growing it would be a problem.

Her surgery, put into question if she'd perform in last year's ORB performance of "Beauty and the Beast."

But there she was on stage with the rest of the dancers giving it her all just months after brain surgery.

"I love to express myself through movement," she said about getting back to dance so quickly.

This year she gets to perform the March Hare role as well as a flower and card.

Coincidently another dancer in the troupe had to deal with issues involving surgery on his brain. Brian Murphy is a professional dancer from Akron, Ohio who has come to be a regular part of the ORB family.

Murphy suffered a traumatic brain injury from a bicycle accident. His road to recovery was also fast taking into account that soon after his accident he stopped breathing. He credits the science of medicine, his doctors and the science of dance for his recovery. While recovering in the hospital he was up and dancing as part of his own therapy. "Deb never gave up on me; they have trusted me," he said of his return this year to ORB. "I just love the concept of (ORB)," he said.

Murphy said the expression of ballet and dance along with the experience of performance is an emotional endeavor. He, along with Hyatt and the rest of the cast of "Alice in Wonderland" will be trying to tap into that emotion to give the audiences an enjoyable and unique experience at the Academy Theatre this weekend.

The first show is at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Then Saturday they will perform a 2 p.m. matinee followed by another 7:30 p.m. performance.

They hope to carry all that energy and magic into the following week's performance about 30 miles down Route 322 to Franklin and the Barrow-Civic Theatre.

Performances will echo the Academy times with the opening curtain at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 3, followed by two shows on Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Rocky Grove High School senior Baylee Cutchall will perform the lead role of Alice.

Other cast members include Bellina Devine, Caleb Waybright, Christopher Warner, Elijah Stewart, Kyran Miller, Justus Lind, Audrey Frazier, Cole Devine, Sylvia Cagle, Kennedy Dawson, Lillian Devine, Josie Stout, Rachel Brunot, Lucy Murphy, Madolyn Williams, Londyn Fink, Marley Plowman, Addison Murphy, Maryan See, Abigail Williams, Lissa Murphy, Maddi Phillips and Molly Carswell.