A notice for patrons who attended the Thursday night Dance Talks: Thank you for your patience through the audio issues on the first balcony!

A recording of the Saturday matinee Dance Talks is posted here.

A Message from the Artistic Director

FRANCESCO VENTRIGLIA | Artistic Director

Welcome to Once Upon A Time – A Thousand Tales

Welcome to Once Upon a Time – A Thousand Tales.

Alberta Ballet’s September presentation celebrates the Canadian premiere of Once Upon a Time, and I am immensely proud to share it with our Alberta audiences. Though I first imagined and crafted this story many years ago, its journey has continued to evolve with every rehearsal and staging.

In creating this ballet, I wanted to gather the threads of the stories many of us first loved—Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Aladdin—and stitch them into one new adventure guided by an unlikely hero: The White Rabbit. His search for Cinderella becomes a playful path through forests and palaces, a reminder that wonder doesn’t end when a book closes or a curtain falls. It evolves—just as we do.

The fairytale-inspired score by Alexey Shor first sparked the choreography back in 2022, and it has been a joy to respond to its melodies and rhythms in movement. Lighting Designer Valerio Tiberi shapes atmosphere and focus, revealing the story’s heartbeat in light and shadow, and award-winning Designer Roberta Guidi Di Bagno has conjured a world of luminous sets and costumes that invite the eye to keep discovering. At the heart of it all is Alberta Ballet’s extraordinary ensemble—artists whose musicality, daring, and generosity are, for me, the true magic of this production.

Earlier this year, we toured this work abroad to Dubai Opera—becoming the first Canadian ballet company to perform on that stage. Our dancers reflected to a sold-out theatre of international ballet lovers, the same stunning artistry that Albertans cherish here at home.

As we open The Greatest Season Ever Told, thank you for bringing your families, your curiosity, and your belief in what dance can do. Whether you are here with a child seeing their first ballet or returning as a long-time friend, I hope you feel the same delight we felt creating it.

May this performance remind you that stories—old and new—can carry us further than we imagine.

With gratitude,

FRANCESCO VENTRIGLIA
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

The Story

Once Upon A Time – A Thousand Tales takes place in a dream world, where each fairy tale is highlighted with choreography, sets, and costumes that create highly individual and relevant imagery, all set to the beautiful score by Alexey Shor.

PROLOGUE

The White Rabbit is awoken by the Prince, who instructs him to deliver invitations to every young woman across the Kingdom to attend a great ball at the palace. He realises the day is dawning and he has to get busy, for he has very important work to do. After all, being busy, being late and being a bit of a busybody are the defining characteristics that make up his personality.

He quickly gets himself ready for the day. The White Rabbit can never stay still for long. He dashes off.

SCENE 1

The scene dissolves into the village square where the people are beginning their morning tasks. The White Rabbit delivers the invitation, and all of the girls are excited to get ready for the ball.

SCENE 2

The scene dissolves. Cinderella is seen doing her chores. Her stepmother and half-sisters are proud and demanding, ordering Cinderella to do all sorts of things for them. Clean this, pick up that, brush some dirt from my dress, etc...etc...

The White Rabbit, arrives with an invitation to the Prince’s ball. The Stepmother and Stepsisters are extremely excited and get Cinderella to help them prepare. When they leave, Cinderella is despondent. She wishes she could go to the ball too, and then suddenly a Good Fairy appears who makes that wish come true. Cinderella’s dress is transformed and she hurries to the ball.

SCENE 3

The scene dissolves into one of great opulence. The Prince sees Cinderella and they fall in love. They dance together in the palace garden but the clock strikes midnight and Cinderella runs away, losing a shoe.

The Prince doesn’t know what to do, but the White Rabbit appears to lend a hand. He consoles the Prince and tells him not to worry. He will travel the world to find the woman who can fit the shoe!

SCENE 4

The scene dissolves to reveal Snow White eating a poisoned apple then falling asleep. Another Prince arrives and wakes Snow White. They dances rapturously amongst the snowflakes. The White Rabbit appears and sees that Snow White is not the woman he seeks as she already has her Prince, but he asks her if she can direct him onwards. She points him in the direction of Sleeping Beauty.

SCENE 5

In a multitude of roses, Aurora has been asked to choose between four suitors and dances with them all. The White Rabbit enters and thinks that she might be the one. He tries the shoe on Sleeping Beauty, but it does not fit and he realises that she is not who he seeks. His journey has to continue.

SCENE 6

The next scene features a lake, where we see Odette and her swans under the power of the wicked Von Rothbart. The White Rabbit arrives on the lake and asks Rothbart if he can try the shoe on Odette but Von Rothbart refuses to free the Swan Queen, so the White Rabbit misses this opportunity.

SCENE 7

Alice is in Wonderland with the Queen of Hearts. This is a lively, comic scene in which the Queen of Hearts takes offence at everything Alice does. The White Rabbit appears, and Alice recognises him. They frolic together and have fun trying on the shoe, even though the White Rabbit knows that she is not the right one either. The Queen of Hearts also tries on the shoe and mayhem ensues.

SCENE 8

In this very brief scene, the White Rabbit finds Cinderella’s Prince to report back. No luck yet, but he will keep trying. A virtuosic little dance for the White Rabbit and the Prince ends Act I.

INTERMISSION

SCENE 9

Very briefly we see Cinderella’s Prince bidding farewell to the White Rabbit, who starts his search again.

SCENE 10

Aladdin and Jasmine dance under a beautiful starry sky, and we see their flying carpet. The White Rabbit enters with the shoe, but it doesn’t fit Jasmine.

SCENE 11

The scene dissolves to the palace of the Beast. In the ballroom everyone is dancing waiting for Beauty and the Beast to arrive for their first dance together. In a beautiful pas de deux, Beauty tenderly dances with the Beast.

The White Rabbit attempts to fit the shoe, but again he has no luck. His journey continues.

SCENE 12

The White Rabbit comes across the cheeky, hyper-confident Puss in Boots. This is not good! Puss thinks that the White Rabbit might make a tasty meal. At the very least, he wants to toy with the White Rabbit and try to steal the glass slipper. Just when things are getting sticky, along comes D’Artagnan and his Musketeers. After much virtuoso swordfighting and dancing from the men, Puss escapes with the precious crystal shoe. D’Artagnan and the Musketeers chase him.

SCENE 13

The Prince arrives and finds out that the White Rabbit lost the shoe. He is heartbroken and dances a melancholic solo.

SCENE 14

D’Artagnan and his Musketeers are back. They retrieved the shoe from Puss in Boots and return it back to the Prince. The White Rabbit is now able to keep looking for Cinderella.

SCENE 15

The White Rabbit finds himself back at Cinderella’s house. He decides he might as well try his luck there. The Stepmother and Stepsisters try to cram their feet into the shoe, but it’s Cinderella who can wear it and also reveal the other shoe from the night of the ball.

FINALE

The Prince is summoned along with all the other fairy tale characters, and a great dance of celebration brings the ballet to a close with the wedding of the Prince to Cinderella.

Once Upon A Time – A Thousand Tales
Creative Team

Once Upon A Time – A Thousand Tales
Casting

Subject to Change

Alberta Ballet Dancers

Alberta Ballet Artistic Team

Alberta Ballet Artistic Support

Company Teachers | Francesco Ventriglia, Yoshiya Sakurai, Hayna Gutierrez,
Class Pianists | Lorel Leal, Michael Li
Physiotherapy | Peak Health and Performance

Stage Technicians provided by IATSE Local 212

Production Team

Production Director | Andrew Tindal-Davies
Technical Director | Jason McLellan
Head Carpenter | Brian Chmielewski
Lead Fly | Kevin Green
Lead Props | Cassandra Thorbjornsen
Lead Lighting | Chris Axford
Second Lighting | Oliver Petti
Lead Sound and Multi-Media | Greg Monforton
Lead Wardrobe | Erin LeBaron
Second Wardrobe | Lori McMahon

Production Elements provided by CMDI Events LLC

The Alberta Ballet Foundation
is proud to support

Once Upon a Time the Alberta Ballet Foundation dreamed of nurturing the growth of dance in our province, to support Alberta Ballet and Alberta Ballet School in creating opportunities for young dancers to dream boldly and for professional artists to push the boundaries of their art.

We are grateful to our visionary donors who support these emerging and established artists, and the passion and courage of Alberta Ballet. The strong legacy of dance in Alberta thrives because of their belief in the wonder of creativity.

All donations to the Alberta Ballet Foundation are matched through the Canada Cultural Investment Fund. Please connect with us at PaulC@AlbertaBallet.com and be a part of keeping Alberta Ballet’s legacy alive.

Once Upon A Time – A Thousand Tales

Alfred Sorensen
Chair
Alberta Ballet Foundation

Paul Chambers
Executive Director
Alberta Ballet Foundation

ALBERTA BALLET DONORS 2024/25 & 2025/26

The Greatest Season Ever Told – The 2025/26’s Season launches with Once Upon A Time – A Thousand Tales. Let’s follow the White Rabbit as he leads us on an enchanting journey through the stories of childhood classics. Exquisite sets and costumes lend their magic to scenes of imagination in a fairytale world. We are deeply grateful for your support, dedicated attendance and continued contributions.

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Patron Program $5,000 +

If you’re a passionate Alberta Ballet subscriber, consider taking part in our donor activities.

To learn more, please contact us at ElizabethR@AlbertaBallet.com.

Elizabeth Reade
Director, Campaigns and Partnerships
403-245-4222 ext 510
ElizabethR@AlbertaBallet.com

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