A local dance troupe is bringing an innovative adaptation of a familiar favorite to the Greenville Municipal Auditorium this Sunday. The Royse City-based ProviDance Performing Arts Center will present a ballet version of the 2021 Disney movie Encanto in a single performance at 2:30 p.m.
ProviDance instructor Victoria Souder choreographed this original adaptation of Encanto. The show, which is without dialogue, presents a ballet performance of the story. A musical animated fantasy, Encanto won the hearts of many filmgoers during its run in theaters. The soundtrack, featuring the hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” topped both US and UK charts for multiple weeks during 2021.
The music, featuring pop sounds and Afro-Caribbean rhythms from Colombia’s lush musical heritage, carries dancers and audience alike through the fable-like story of young Mirabel and her family, whose legacy of magical powers provides the context for the events of the tale. One need not have seen the movie version to enjoy the ballet, but familiarity with the storyline would likely help viewers appreciate the subtleties of Souder’s adaptation.
“I thought this would be a challenge and a fun experience, to take this film that families love, and transform it into ballet,” Souder said. “You've seen Sleeping Beauty, and Romeo and Juliet, and The Nutcracker, and all these ballets that are very well known, and I personally have never seen anybody doing Encanto.”
Souder’s ensemble of children, youths and young adults present an expressive, sometimes exuberant display of acting talent and athleticism in the ballet. Rehearsals began last September, so Sunday’s show will provide the culmination of more than a half-year of work.
“The second the curtains open, it's going to be super bright and colorful and vibrant and exciting,” Souder said. “It's going to be very fun and vibrant and the kind of ballet that makes you want to dance in your seat and not just sit.”
This year’s performance of Encanto follow’s a 2023 performance of Alice in Wonderland. ProviDance currently produces one show annually. Souder, who has been teaching and choreographing locally for less than two years, hopes the ProviDance performers can establish themselves regionally as a troupe to watch.
“They keep getting better and better each year,” Souder said. “We'll make a name for ourselves. And then eventually people will recognize and say, ‘Hey, I want to go. They're getting really good.’”
ProviDance Performing Arts Center of Royse City will present Encanto at the Greenville Municipal Auditorium, 2821 Washington St., on Sun. June 2 at 2:30 p.m.
Ethan Buck and Jerrod Knight contributed to this report.
