Who's the fairest of them all? Tallmadge high schooler stars in 'Snow White' at Civic Theatre

Eighteen Ballet Excel Ohio (BXO) dancers and 10 guest dancers will take to the Akron Civic Theatre stage March 9 and 10 for the beloved classic fairy tale "Snow White."

Producing BXO's annual ballet, all original works commissioned for the pre-professional ballet, is a labor of love for Artistic Director Mia Klinger, the dancers, choreographers, designers and numerous parent volunteers who make the magic happen each year.

In the "Snow White" story, when the Evil Queen (Megan Murphy) learns from her Magic Mirror (Ellie Ferry) that Snow White is the fairest in the land, she plots to banish Snow White from the kingdom forever. The queen's scary attendants chase Snow White into the forest, where she encounters a number of beautiful deer, bunnies and butterflies.

The Owl (Wendy Garcia) and Dove (Kyla Hayashi) are the creatures who guide her to her new friends, the seven Dwarfs, who agree to let Snow White stay with them. The Evil Queen learns that Snow White has survived her ordeal in the forest and continues to plot against her.

Dressed in disguise, she puts Snow White into a deep sleep with a poisoned apple. As Snow White lies in a coffin, the Dwarfs and forest animals are heartbroken.

Once again, the Owl and Dove aid Snow White by guiding the Prince to her, for the Evil Queen's spell can only be broken with a kiss from a prince. For BXO, the role of the prince is danced by Levian Mondville, a special guest dancer from the Cleveland Ballet.

Of course, this fairy tale has a happy ending and the forest comes alive with celebration.

Laszlo Berdo of Charlotte Ballet originally choreographed "Snow White" for BXO in collaboration with composer William Wade in 2007. The company last performed the work in 2015.

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Tallmadge senior dances Snow White role

For this revival, Tallmadge High School senior Rebecca Banig, 17, stars as Snow White. It's a bittersweet time for Banig, who's performing her final role before graduating from high school and the youth company.

She started with BXO in Cuyahoga Falls seven years ago and is now dancing a dream role as Snow White.

"When I started with the company I was a piece of seaweed in the ballet 'Little Mermaid,' which is a princess ballet, and I think when I found out I was going to be playing the princess in a ballet it really made me feel really excited," she said.

This ballet is a family affair: Her mom, Maria Banig, created her floral headpiece and her sister, Tallmadge Middle School eighth-grader Isabel, 14, dances as a Frog and a Dwarf.

At dress rehearsal at Nan Klinger Excellence in Dance Feb. 18, Rebecca Banig was partnering with Mondville as the prince for just the second time, which she said has been a great opportunity.

"I think that it's a very challenging role. And it's also so fun because I get to interact with all the characters," she said of playing Snow White.

After graduation, she has a partial scholarship for Cincinnati Ballet's summer intensive, which can lead straight to the company's trainee program. Banig, who was offered apprenticeships at two other ballet companies, plans to work hard this summer in Cincinnati, where she hopes to get noticed and receive a traineeship.

Banig, who was born in Bolivia and speaks Spanish, has a special affinity for the Cincinnati Ballet due to its strong representation of Latino dancers.

"I would love to be able to represent my culture in a company that does it so beautifully, she said. "I really would love to inspire people through that because it's really important for people to see a version of themselves on the stage so that they can feel included."

Banig also stars in BXO's shorter opening ballet March 9 and 10, dancing the title role in "Miss Spider's Tea Party," choreographed by James Sewell and based on the children's book by David Kirk. Kirk will attend both of BXO's performances next weekend, as he does every time the company dances "Miss Spider."

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Homeschooled Canton teen plays Evil Queen

Co-starring in "Snow White" is Megan Murphy, an 18-year-old, home-schooled senior from Canton. Last year, she danced as the Witch in BXO's "Hansel and Gretel" and will end her time with BXO this year playing the Evil Queen.

"I really like to play the evil part because I have a lot of creative freedom," said the dancer, who's also an Eagle Scout.

As the Evil Queen, Murphy wears a dramatic dark blue dress with sparkle and peacock feather-type accents. The "Snow White" costumes were originally designed by Berdo, Jane Bolick Ann Gosser and Klinger.

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Murphy has danced with BXO for four years. She also has trained in summer programs everywhere from Charlotte Ballet to Ballet West in Salt Lake City.

She plans to accept a one-year contact for a traineeship with Charlotte Ballet, whose trainee division is directed by "Snow White" choreographer Berdo. She'll rent an apartment and live with roommates in downtown Charlotte.

"I'm excited," Murphy said.

Details

Ballet: "Snow White"

When: 2 p.m. March 9 and 10

Where: Akron Civic Theatre, 182 S. Main St., Akron

Onstage: Ballet Excel Ohio dancers and guest dancers

Offstage: Laszlo Berdo, choreographer; William Wade, music; Laszlo Berdo, Janet Bolick, Ann Gosser and Mia Klinger, original costume design; Dennis Dugan, lighting design; Andrianna Caso, original backdrop design; Scott Ferrall, original set design; Scott Ferrall, Kathy Kohl, Tom Marshall and John Webb, original prop design and construction

Cost: $25-$35

Information: akroncivic.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Ballet Excel Ohio to bring classic 'Snow White' to Akron Civic Theatre