Pacific Northwest Ballet School brings the story of Snow White to the stage for a few dates in March:

Saturday, March 17 — 3:30 pm
Sunday, March 18 — 4:30 pm
Sunday, March 25 — 12 noon & 3:30 pm

I’ve always been a fan of fairy tales – from the time I started reading in preschool, later in grade school when I was gifted a book of Grimm’s fairy tales, in middle school when I performed as Snow White herself in a musical production and now as an adult, Brandon and I love to cuddle up on the couch and watch Once Upon a Time on Hulu.  When I saw this production was coming to, I got excited by the opportunity to bring my oldest niece, now age 9, back to the ballet. She sat at the edge of her seat during her first professional ballet experience at PNB’s Swan Lake and just loves the art form.  Her younger sister, now age 5, had to sit that production out, because of the running time. But Snow White is perfect for all of us, with a running time of just 1 hour, no intermission.

Some notes on bringing children to live performances: 

If you are considering bringing children to the production, be sensitive to what children are better at sitting still and at attention – some children take a little bit longer than others at building the skills that it takes to be  a good audience member.  Talk to your kids before you go so they know what to expect and what’s expected from them.  If your child becomes too noisy during the production, it’s always ok to take them into the lobby, or a “cry room” should the theatre you’re attending have one.

Here are some of PNB’s tips for attending the ballet with children:

• Preparing Ahead makes a more enriching experience. You can find out a lot about the performance you are attending before coming to the theatre. Look for performance information, images, videos, dancer interviews, and stories on the season pages for the performance you are attending.
• Booster Seats and Binoculars are available just off of the main entry lobby (Kreielsheimer Promenade) and ushers can help guide you there. Booster seats are intended for children or patrons shorter than 5 feet on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a $5 rental fee for binoculars.
• What to Wear? Some people enjoy making their visit to the ballet a dress-up occasion, but many others dress casually. Most importantly, wear something you are comfortable in, and enjoy the performance!
• Meals & Snacks. Full meal service is available at the Prelude restaurant up to 2 hours prior to performances, and no reservations are necessary. Food and beverages are not allowed in the auditorium.
• Viewing from the Lobby Children who are having difficulty watching and listening quietly during the performance may leave with an accompanying adult through the nearest exit and view the performance on monitors in the McCaw Hall Lobby.
• Check out our Plan Your Visit section of this site, for more details on performance location, the gift shop, dining and facilities.

Music: Jules Massenet
Choreography: Bruce Wells
Scenic Design: Edith Whitsett
Costume Design: PNB Costume Shop
Lighting Design: Randall G. Chiarelli

Photo © Angela Sterling. Composition by Ben Kerns.