LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — During the day at Woodland Park, a stage sits off to the side and in the shade. At night time for the next few days, it will light up as the center of attention for the 35th annual Ballet Under the Stars.
“The performance outside under the stars, it's just magical,” said Mindy Stone, Recreation Manager Senior at Lexington Parks & Recreation. “It's just so fun to watch our preshow dancers. A lot of them come back every year, and we've watched them grow up.”
One of these dancers is Claire Blandford, who is dancing in the preshow before the main curtain. Blandford is dancing as Galinda from “Wicked,” and this is her fifth year participating in the preshow.
“I wanted to continue dancing throughout the summer even when the regular dance season kind of slows down,” said Blandford. “What really made me stay for five years is the people, getting to meet new people from all across central Kentucky.”
That includes Lilly Rhodes, who is dancing under the stars for the first time this year. Rhodes has a duet with Blandford in the song “Defying Gravity,” and she is in the role of Elphaba.
“All the teachers are so nice, all the choreographers are so welcoming,” Rhodes said. “They all help each other out. I obviously have to be green, so everybody's just kind of helping me get ready for the show, and it's really fun.”
Blandford and Rhodes took some more time during the day to practice their moves for the song.
“I like how the show combines musical theater and ballet, so you can really characterize while still dancing ballet,” Blandford said. “In the past, I've been maybe a more pretty graceful character, but Galinda really gets to get into that sassy side.”
“[Elphaba] gets powers and she doesn't really know how to use them, so she's kind of figuring out how powerful she is and what she can do,” Rhodes explained.
Performances began on Wednesday night, and they continue through this Sunday, Aug. 3. Gates open at 6 p.m. You can see Blandford and Rhodes perform in the preshow starting at 8 p.m., and the main curtain begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are $9, and kids three and under get in for free.
