Ballet gives Wizard of Oz the silent treatment

FORT SMITH — The Western Arkansas Ballet told the story of The Wizard of Oz its own way with performances this weekend (March 31 and April 1) at the Arkansas Best Corp. Performing Arts Center in the Fort Smith Convention Center.

Though The Wizard of Oz is so well-known that it could be told without words, the performers with Western Arkansas Ballet relied more than ever on their movements and facial expressions to tell the tale.

Choreographer Charles Martin specified several sections of pantomime for the dancers to use. For example, the Scarecrow character pointed to his head when he meant to say “brain,” the Lion flexed his muscles for “courage” and the Tin Man placed both hands to his heart while conveying the word “heart.”

Martin, currently in his fifth season as a dancer with the Kansas City Ballet, has been traveling back and forth from Kansas to work with local students on the production of Oz.

“At times it was insanely hectic and chaotic choreographing the ballet, but the students put in a lot of effort and worked extremely hard to make this a success,” he said.

Oz is his first full-length ballet (one that is more than one act), though it’s not his first time working with Marica Porter, ballet mistress.

Natalie Chapman, a senior member of company, played the lead part of Dorothy. Just as Amara Lowe enjoyed her role as one of the poppy flowers that puts Dorothy and her friends to sleep, Brooklyn Howard fancied her part as an orchid because she got to wake them up.

Young Maggie Schoenfeld, a winkie guard and an orchid, said she was excited about being on stage with her mom,  Melissa Schoenfeld, who played the Wicked Witch of the West.