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a gothic tale of love, death and immortality
8:00 pm
Gala Night - June 23
Terpsicorps, Asheville’s professional contemporary ballet company, has a history of creating what some might call, ‘goth’ dance performances. Their success with ballets such as “The Many Deaths of Edward Gorey,” Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death” and their untraditional telling of Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” have given them a reputation for creating productions with an eerie quality seldom found with a more traditional ballet company. This year, they are resurrecting that dark spirit with the premiere of Heather Maloy’s “Vampyre, a gothic tale of love, death and immortality”.
On a stormy night in 1816, literary geniuses Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley and John Polidori sat in the Villa Diodati by Lake Geneva and told ghost stories. The fantastical thoughts that went around the room that night not only gave birth to the infamous novel “Frankenstein”, but also to the entire concept of Vampires as we think of them today. The short story that came out of that meeting of the minds, “Vampyre”, by John Polidori, was the precursor to every piece of vampire literature that followed, including “Dracula”. The vampire in the story, Lord Ruthven, was modeled after the personality of the famous poet, Lord Byron, and is every bit the sexy, charismatic aristocrat that has been portrayed by numerous actors ever since.
Choreographer Heather Maloy, a long time fan of the horror genre, is taking this story and setting it in a world that brings to mind a current day London fashion show. A team of five costumers, along with hair stylists from Adorn Salon and make up artists from Make Up at Grove Arcade are creating the high fashion look of the show. Goth style has taken over the runways of NY, Paris and London. Take a peek at any fashion magazine and it looks straight off the set of a horror movie. With a musical score that spans centuries, representing everything from classical to electronic, and costumes that are inspired by today’s gothic trend in high fashion circles, the ballet will show the timeless draw that we as humans have to the vampire legend and the mystique that surrounds it.
Terpsicorps will again be bringing in principal dancers from professional ballet companies across the country to bring this macabre vision to life. At a Terpsicorps production, Asheville audiences are treated to some of the nation’s finest dancers performing innovative choreography that speaks to the Asheville audience. This is the company’s ninth season and what is bound to be the boldest and most thrilling production yet. Don’t be afraid to come dressed in your gothic finest!
Join us for Gala Night Opening night, June 23, 7pm. Your special pass includes pre-show champagne toast and backstage tour, as well as VIP tickets for the show and admittance to the after party at Battery Park Book Exchange
& Champagne Bar. Tickets: $75
Tickets: Adults $30, Seniors (+65) $25, Students (with i.d.) $25, Teens (12-18) $20, Child (12 & under) $12
*mature content, children under 12
with adult only
