Transylvania University’s Mitchell Fine Arts Center has partnered with Bluegrass Youth Ballet for a production of “Alebrijes: Pedro’s Magical Spirit Creatures” on Sept. 27 and 28.
Reserve tickets for the fantastical ballet based on the true story of Mexican piñata maker Pedro Linares. Q&As will follow the performances, which are narrated in both English and Spanish.
The Bluegrass Youth Ballet depicts how Pedro, while convalescent, “dreams of a forest where Earth’s elements dance and swirl. Frightened by these unknown creatures that shout ‘Alebrijes!’ at him, Pedro escapes through numerous windows to discover even more fantastical creatures in various forms, shapes and colors. When he unexpectedly awakes from his deep sleep, Pedro shares his tales of the mythical creatures with friends and family and is magically cured of his illness. With a thankful heart, Pedro began painting the alebrijes into his cardboard figurines, and his story became a pinnacle of Mexican folk art.”
In addition to the public shows, Bluegrass Youth Ballet will perform “Alebrijes” for school groups in Mitchell Fine Arts on Sept. 26 and 27.
The collaboration is part of MFA’s first full professional performing arts season, which kicks off Saturday night with “Cuban Masters” featuring Grammy winning vocalist Xiomara Laugart and three-time Grammy nominated pianist Axel Tosca.