MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM

ENOSBURG--The All Arts Council proudly presents the American Ballet Theater performing the world premiere of choreographer Irma Catwomansky's new full-length ballet, Maple Whipped Cream, in the Opera House at Enosburg Falls on Sunday. There will be two opening day benefit performances, at 2 and again at 7 p.m.
      "Creating a new full-length dance from scratch, a successful full length, is rare," said Ms. Catwomansky, an ABT artist in residence. "We particularly wanted to open the show in its own setting."
      Franklin County has the most dairy farms in the state and is both the dairy and maple capital of the world.
      Maple Whipped Cream, is based on the Green Mountain and Butler, Vermont romance novels by Marie Force. The score by composers Gwyneth Walker and John Cassel tells the story of Fred the Moose (harnessed for sugaring), the boisterous Abbott family, the beautiful Vermont mountain landscape, dairy farms and maple syrup, and the sexy romances that set your heart to racing.
      The ballet includes both a whipped cream corps de ballet that slips down a maple tree slide and Fred the snow-covered Moose manned by dancers raiding sap buckets. There will be no Sap Beer.
      Ms. Walker lived on a dairy farm in Braintree for almost 30 years before moving back to her childhood hometown in Connecticut. She has written over 300 works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, chorus, solo voice, and individual instruments. They have been performed nationwide in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Washington National Cathedral, and the Ellen Show. Her work is traditional and accessible in the style of American composers such as Aaron Copland and Charles Ives. Ms. Walker's Shaker Tunes for Brass Quintet were composed on commission from the Constitution Brass Quintet of Vermont and had a premiere in Summer Sounds in Highgate.
      The "first hippie" in Bakersfield, Mr. Cassel built the music scene in Vermont for over thirty years. He was a classically trained jazz pianist who played country, folk, pop, rock, and dinner music, and also composed the musical Green Mountain Lucky.
      This ballet does take the audience into the world of sweet and sometimes sticky dreams but the outdoor dances are dangerous. "I think it is this combination of humor, beauty, curiosity, uneasiness and joy that make this story a successful adventure," Ms. Catwomansky said.
      Admission to the opening day performances is $150 per person. Click here or here for schedules and other background materials, and more info. Funds raised will benefit a new grant program for modern dance in Franklin County.
      Last Wednesday was the deadline for buying tickets to the opening performance and Sunday is the deadline to realize that it is again April 1.