The C-6 Foundation is bringing a classic fairytale ballet to Arnold this weekend.
The nonprofit organization, which supports the Fox C-6 School District, will present “Peter and the Wolf” at 2 p.m. Sunday in Rickman Auditorium, 747 Jeffco Blvd.
The ballet will be performed by members of the Belleville School of Ballet, and Fox C-6 students will sing a mix of patriotic songs during a 15-minute performance called “Celebratin’ Uncle Sam” in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. The ballet is about 40 minutes long.
Tickets may be purchased through eventbrite.com. Tickets cost $15 each, and the website charges an additional $2.67 service fee. Tickets may also be purchased at Rickman on the day of the performance for $15 each. All seating is general admission, and the doors open at 1:30 p.m.
Tara Boggs, the C-6 Foundation board secretary, said this is the first time the organization is holding a ballet to collect money to support it. She said the foundation previously held 5K runs to raise money.
“We decided we would branch out and do something a little bit different,” she said. “We wanted to have something that was family-friendly and something that involves kids because we are all about helping teachers help kids.”
The C-6 Foundation provides three forms of grants to the Fox C-6 School District, Boggs said.
She said teachers throughout the district may apply for grants to purchase supplies for classroom projects that the district cannot provide.
Boggs said the foundation also provides grants for students to attend field trips or for guest speakers to come to Fox C-6 schools.
She said the foundation also has grants that provide money for students to receive clothing or to help pay for Project Graduation and other district programs.
“Every penny that we collected goes to the grants,” Boggs said of the proceeds from Sunday’s performance.
The ballet was written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936. It tells the story of “The Boy Cried Wolf,” who is now the grandfather of a boy named Peter and worried that his grandson has many of the same personality traits that he had as a young boy – impulsiveness, curiosity and trouble following the rules.
When the wolf returns, the grandfather tries to keep Peter away from the animal. However, the wolf finds where the grandfather and Peter are at, and the wolf swallows a duck that Peter has befriended.
Peter and his other animal friends work together to capture the wolf, and they then take the wolf to the zoo, where the duck emerges from the wolf still alive because she was swallowed whole.
Boggs said the Belleville School of Ballet is under the direction of Patti Harrington.
Boggs said there will be 15 students who attend third through eighth grade in the district participating in the performance before the ballet.
She said students will sing “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” “This Land is Your Land” and audience members will be invited to sing the national anthem with the students.
She said the performance before the ballet replaced a choir camp that she typically holds during the summer.
“That is the exciting part for me,” Boggs said of the Fox C-6 students performing. “We wanted to invite our own students to participate as well. I think it will be enjoyable for everyone. It is fun to see kids perform”
Boggs said the C-6 Foundation is excited to hold the performance.
“It is for everybody in the community,” she said. “This will help the teachers because we gift the grants to help the teachers to be able to provide things outside of what the district is able to give. Everyone will benefit from it.”
Boggs said the C-6 Foundation received a $5,000 grant from the Arnold Tourism Commission.
“That is huge,” she said. “That is helping us pay for everything we need to put this show on.”