NFB presents Peter Pan, featuring live music!

The Northwest Florida Ballet (NFB) returns to the Mattie Kelly Arts Center with its original production of Peter Pan on Sat., Mar. 11 at 7:30 pm and Sun., Mar. 12 at 2:30 pm. Featuring choreography by international guest artist Katia Garza and an original composition by NFB Music Director David Ott, played live by the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra (NFSO), join Peter Pan for an enchanting trip to Neverland. 
 
Peter Pan began as a vignette within a novel by author and playwright James Matthew Barrie. A play and dedicated novel followed, leading to what many consider a worldwide phenomenon. Even after more than a century, the story continues to capture the imagination of both children and adults. Complete with magical sets and mesmerizing costumes, NFB's production of Peter Pan includes a cast of international guest artists and company members who will take audiences on a spectacular journey to Neverland in this two-act production. 
 
NFB's Peter Pan has truly been a collaborative effort with the creative team comprised of a group of international artists led by Todd Eric Allen, NFB Artistic Director and CEO. The team also includes the ballet's choreographer Katia Garza, who began her dance training in Monterrey, Mexico, before becoming a principal dancer at Orlando Ballet and currently Artistic Director of Mobile Ballet. 

"Peter Pan choreographer Katia Garza and I have worked together many times and were thrilled to present the production for the first time in 2018. We had such a tremendous response from the premiere performance that I could not wait to bring this ballet back," said Allen. 

The ballet will feature mesmerizing scenery projections designed and created by Cuban-born artist Israel Rodriguez, president of IRG Productions; scenic designer Luly Garza and costume designer Brisa Dinorah Gomez Cruz, who works out of Mexico City. Peter Pan's hard scenery was constructed by C&S Themed Events and Environments in Orlando, Fla.
 
Peter Pan, the mischievous boy who never wants to grow up, along with Wendy Darling and her two brothers, take flight on a fantastic adventure along with the sassy fairy Tinker Bell. The Darling children and Peter venture to Neverland, where they encounter the frightful Captain Hook, the clever crocodile, and Princess Tiger Lily and her Ballyhoo Maidens. Eventually, Peter and his companions land on Marooners' Rock, where they meet magical mermaids before continuing their journey to meet the lost children.

NFB's production of Peter Pan features international guest artists Keynald Reinaldo Vergara Soto in the title role of Peter Pan and Raul Peinado as the terrifying Captain Hook. NFB company member Madelyn Blanchard will perform the role of Wendy, and Académie students John Rayman and Antonio Thomas will dance the roles of John and Michael, respectively. NFB soloist Angel Mier performs as Tinkerbell, and soloist Luciana Ato dances the role of Tiger Lilly. The NFB Company and trainee program dancers round out the cast. 

Keynald Reinaldo Vergara Soto began to study ballet at the Alfonso Pérez Izaac School in Matanzas, Cuba, at the age of 10. At 14, he was chosen for the National Ballet School, where he graduated in 2010. Soto then joined the Pro Danza company and performed in principal and secondary roles in The Nutcracker, Dracula, and Swan Lake over the course of five years. He came to the United States at 21, where he became part of Columbia City Ballet in South Carolina for three years. He is currently training and dancing a broad repertoire with Florida Classical Ballet under the direction of Magaly Suarez. 
 
Originally from Madrid, Spain, Raul Peinado began his dance training at the Victor Ullate Ballet School and Catedra Alicia Alonso. While in Spain, he danced as a soloist with Ballet Clasico de Madrid, performed as a guest dancer with the National Ballet of Cuba, and was featured on national television as an ensemble dancer. In 2000, Peinado moved to the United States and was offered a full scholarship at the Joffrey Ballet School. He then went on to dance with several major ballet companies, including the Joffrey Ballet Ensemble, the Connecticut Ballet and The Georgia Ballet. He also participated in the Buffalo Dance Festival with his partner and renowned ballerina Misty Copeland. Since 2001, Peinado has performed as a guest artist and teaches for many regional ballet companies.

The NFSO will play Ott's original composition for Peter Pan live. In his seventh year as the NFB Music Director, Ott has been cited among America's most-performed composers of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in music and Grammys, he has an extensive portfolio of compositions in every genre of music, from large-scale orchestra works to short overtures. Some of the most distinguished American and European orchestras have performed or recorded his works.
 
The NFSO is the Emerald Coast's premiere professional orchestra and is under the leadership of Music Director Todd Craven. The 65-piece ensemble resides at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center and features internationally acclaimed guest soloists and emerging local talent.
 
"It is very important to me as Artistic Director to continue to present exciting productions as part of NFB's repertoire. While we are known for our annual production of The Nutcracker and other classics like Swan Lake and Cinderella, Peter Pan allows us to create an immersive experience," said Allen. 
 
In addition to its two public performances on March 11 and 12, NFB will also present two performances for area school children as part of its Education and Outreach services. Box office-priced tickets for Peter Pan are $45 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under. Tickets for Peter Pan are on sale now through the Mattie Kelly Box Office website or via www.NFBallet.org. 

The Signature Season sponsor for Peter Pan is Scarlett Magazine. NFB is partially sponsored by the State of Florida, the Department of State, the Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Housing sponsors for the production include The Courtyard by Marriott Sandestin at Grand Boulevard, a Howard Group Development.