christina chiaravoLloti/ViewMadison Cowley, 3, stretches during a Fairytale Ballet Class on Oct. 20 at Vegas Valley Dance Academy, 450 S. Buffalo Drive.
photos by christina chiaravoLloti/ViewLeft, Abby Hochstetter, 4, practices a pirouette during a Fairytale Ballet Class on Oct. 20 at Vegas Valley Dance Academy. Right, students take part in the session.
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Straw that's been spun into gold. Tiaras for little princesses. Magic wands that command one to twirl around.
Working off the premise that 3- and 4-year-olds learn best when lessons combine playtime, Alene Hochstetter has set up a new ballet program. It's called Fairytale Ballet Class, held at Vegas Valley Dance Academy, 450 S. Buffalo Drive, on the northeast corner of Alta Drive. It began in June.
The lessons include props and easy-on costumes that complement standard tales like "Cinderella" and "Little Red Riding Hood," as well as modern ones like "The Lion King."
"It's not just about 'Let's dress up and play around,' " Hochstetter said. "I teach classical ballet, but there's lot of acting in dance."
Each class ends with a portion where participants read a story, then get to act it out.
During a recent lesson, students learned the tale of "Rumplestiltskin," who demanded gold and jewels before he would spin straw into gold. When the queen had no more to give him, he demanded her baby -- unless she could guess his name.
The girls were given lacy skirts to wear over their leotards, plastic rings and beaded necklaces. They then acted out the story, giving up their jewels until they had no more to give.
At the end, the children twirled with their yellow ribbons and danced around.
"This program helps them enjoy ballet ... let's face it, ballet can be boring," Hochstetter said.
Parents weren't bored, either. Many were taking photos and video throughout the 45-minute class.
"When I read a story to her at home, she gets up and twirls around," said Sue Kim, whose 3-year-old daughter Eugene took part in the session. "She loves this."
Shanyce Steward said her daughter Kendall Moore, 5, looks forward to the program.
"She wants to come here every day," Steward said, adding that she takes photographs at each class.
Hochstetter grew up in Tacoma, Wash., where her mother taught ballet. She began taking lessons as a preschooler. The idea to bring ballet to life with pantomime and props is credited to her mother.
"She taught me how to be magical with dance," Hochstetter said. "She was a little child at heart."
At age 20, Hochstetter said she joined Siegfried & Roy as a dancer for their show. She said she also danced at Disneyland and toured with the "Sesame Street" live production.
Fairytale Ballet plans a special holiday camp titled The Nutcracker. Held Dec. 22 and 23, and again Dec. 29 and 30, the half-day camps will involve a craft time, a tea party and treats. A one-day camp also is planned for Dec. 20.
Reservations are required. Camps start at $48. For more information, call 281-4366 or visit fairytalesandtutus.com.
Contact Summerlin View and South Summerlin View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.
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