The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid
Colorado Ballet
DU Newman Center
Denver, CO
March 31 - April 2, 2017

The Colorado Ballet has made a habit in recent years of presenting at least one fairy tale each season. This year’s offering The Little Mermaid, is not known as a ballet. Despite that, the single weekend of shows sold out months ahead of time. Clearly their audience was interested in seeing it.

The show started with Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1. It was a beautifully choreographed piece which gave the audience a rare chance to see their lead dancers showcased in the same piece. The costumes were lovely and the different themed colors let the featured artists stand out and highlight the pairs.

The Little Mermaid is not a traditional ballet. It was set to a recorded track which included narration and songs with lyrics. The dancers lip-synched to the soundtrack.

It was a beautiful performance to watch. The costumes were colorful and fun. The sets, while simple, created each location perfectly.

However, the recorded soundtrack took the focus off the dance for telling the story. The choreography was fine, but it got lost in narration. That being said, The Little Mermaid would be the perfect show to introduce a small child to the ballet.