Whidbey youth ballet brings Cinderella back to Oak Harbor stage

Whidbey’s youth ballet scene is bringing Cinderella back to Oak Harbor for the first time since 2016, and the production is shaping up as more than a fairy-tale revival. The Ballet Slipper Conservatory will mount the show May 30 and 31 at Oak Harbor High School’s Performing Arts Center, giving Island County families a chance to see a full-length ballet built by local students ages 7 to 17.

At the center of the production is 15-year-old Elena Holton, who will dance Cinderella in her first major lead role rather than serving as an understudy. For a company built around training as much as performance, the casting marks a milestone for a young dancer taking on one of the best-known roles in the classical repertoire. Holton has described dancing as a recharge, which fits a show that asks its performers to balance discipline, storytelling and stage presence in front of a hometown audience.

Instructor Diane Geragotelis, known as Miss Diane, said the ballet is both heartfelt and highly technical, with comedy woven into the movement. The dancers will have to tell the story through exaggerated facial expressions and physical humor instead of dialogue, while also handling pointe work, turns and spins. That combination turns Cinderella into a test of acting and athleticism, not just a familiar title on a program.

The company’s handcrafted costumes are also part of the draw. Board member Lynn Evans and Geragotelis have highlighted the gowns and tutus as especially striking under stage lighting, a reminder of how much behind-the-scenes labor local arts groups put into productions that often look effortless from the audience. The Ballet Slipper Conservatory says it is Oak Harbor’s only nonprofit dance company and produces two major shows each year, along with smaller demonstrations at senior centers, schools, churches and other community venues. Its public materials also note support from the Washington State Arts Commission and the Whidbey Community Foundation.

The show’s return to the stage ties this year’s production to a longer local tradition. The company’s gallery includes a 2016 Cinderella, and earlier reporting said Geragotelis first opened The Ballet Slipper in 1991. Today, the students who appear in TBSC productions take regular classes at The Ballet Slipper, the separate company she owns, while TBSC is run by a board of five directors. Reserved seating is set for the three performances, with doors opening 45 minutes before showtime, at Oak Harbor High School, 1 Wildcat Way, Oak Harbor, WA 98277.