First entry of a few closing thoughts on Brandywine Ballet’s Dracula, from the choreographer Nancy Page herself…

Dracula is my first full-length ballet.  I remember sitting at my computer and listening to music for hours and hours and hours. Many days later I came up with the score.  

Next I needed a castle built and painted.  WCU students created our fabulous castle.  

Now,  I have 50 or so dancers, the youngest being 11, what should I do? Well, there is Dracula, Mina, Lucy, Lucy’s suitors, and Dracula’s brides. That covers about 15 people.  I have 35 or so to go.  

I decided that all of the other dancers would represent feelings, emotions, life, death, rage, even weather (The Storm).   Not an easy task, but my angels brought life and serenity to the stage while rage convincingly succumbed.  Creatures crawled through any crack, crevice, window or door to fill the castle in an eerie exciting way and later storm girls gently entered and as the storm hit they  had the power to lift Dracula while he savagely resisted.  

There’s more to come, but I have to go teach my 3 year olds (future creatures).

- Nancy Page, Brandywine Ballet Resident Choreographer