Home » At The Museum 2025

Ballerina Girls: Caitlynn Pantenburg, Cindy Chen, Ella Lemberg, Luisa Groepper, Zoe Charais (teacher – in back), Charlotte DeMarco, Mira Oswald, Brianna Montalvo, Noelani Robertson, Clara Jang, (Charlotte Bensend)

.
At The Museum, Adventures of the Ballerina Girls
1994 – 2025

.
–  What happens when students from the Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota in St Paul’s artistic Lowertown District decide to take a field trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts to see the newest art exhibit just arrived from Europe?

–  What happens when one girl, Chloe, gets left behind in the Museum?

–  What happens when the Degas Statue, Picasso’s ‘Seated Woman’, Van Gogh’s ‘Starry, Starry Night’ and a Degas Painting come to life? The pictures may give you a clue but if you ever get the chance to see the magical production – Go.

School Children were the first to visit the Museum

School Children visit the Minneapolis Institute of Arts
The Degas Statue is revealed to the school children

It was Helpers Clean Up Day but instead they danced

.
.
.
DANCERS:

JANITORS:  Sofia Beghelli, Amyrani GoodStar, Grace Gu, Margot Lakatos, Alice Rodbro, Sophia Solomon
HEAD JANITOR: Antone Gregory

SCHOOL CHILDREN: Alessandra Beghelli, Brielle Erickson, Sarah Frechette, Harper Hansen, ElleLousie Hart, Josephine Hoffman, Linnea Pastor, Faith Quercia, Donatella Racheli, Julia Rumpca, Phoenix Samples, Isabel Shoaf, Catherine Spingarn, Margot Way            TEACHER: Sarah Pelletier

YOUNG SCHOOL CHILDREN:  Marina Bindman, Sebastian Bindman, Priscilla Giles, Abigail Hong, Ada Lauth, Elizabeth Lawler, Miracle Paw, Frances Giles, Charlie Kastner, Esme Krisnik, Esme Mardquardt, Maggie Miesbauer, Olivia Schupp, Nicholas Spingarn
TEACHER: Mary Gregory

BALLERINA GIRLS:  Charlotte Bensend, Cindy Chen, Clara Jang, Brianna Montalvo, Ella Lemberg, Charlotte DeMarco, Luisa Groepper, Mira Oswald, Caitlynn Pantenburg, Noelani Robinson
TEACHER: Zoe Charais

 

 36th Minnesota Dance Festival

.

    Friday, May 9-10, 2025
    EM Pearson Theater
    Concordia University, St Paul

.

Title . . . . . . . . . . . . .  At The Museum

Choreography . . .  Andrew Rist
Scenario . . . . . . . .  Andrew Rist
Music . . . . . . . . . . .  Robert E Hindel
Costumes . . . . . . .  Cheryl Rist
Sets . . . . . . . . . . . .  Lorelee Sathre, Jim Arnold
Photography  . . .  Emily Charais (2025)

.
.
.
DANCERS:

SCOUT LEADER: Reed Sampson
BOYS: Jace Goings, Fritz Jaeger, Bruce Mosites-Anderson, Elias Spingarn

DEGAS STATUE  Flannery Page
CHLOE: Clara Jang

DEGAS PAINTING: Avery Augustine, Charlotte Bensend, Eloise Cox, Sara Vlcek, Cindy Chen
BALLET MASTER: Andrew Rist

PICSSO PAINTING: Zoe Charais, Tobias Joseph
SHADOWS: Svea Blumenshine, Avery Damman, Lydia Dwyer, Rayna Goings, Eleanor Haeg, Erika Halley, Alexa Ingram, Evelyn Lamb, Eleanor Moore, Elspeth Moua, Tida Nathe, Ivy Nelson, Haley Nielsen, Amelia Nieman, Lilia Oertwig, Luella Pescosolido, Camilla Robinson, Aubrey Rumpca, Beatrice Sather, Lucia Swanlund, Inger Wenker

VAN GOGH PAINTNG: Kaitlyn Kockelman, Olive Charais, Beatrice Skulley, Sophia Joseph, Adeline Shanahan, Mia Meyer, Eva Kangas

And then the Ballerina Girls arrived

The head mistress Juliana (Zoe Charais) leads the Ballerina Girls into the museum
Any day, today in particular, is a good day to visit the museum.
Juliana, the head mistress, instructs the class
The girls, very proper, listen to Juliana
The girls have their own idea about what to do in class when the teacher is not looking
It is so much fun at the Museum when the teacher’s back is turned
After a most wonderful day it is time to leave

The Boys

The Head Boy introduces himself to Chloe
The Boy and Chloe dance while her friends whisper
The head boy (Reed Sampson) takes a liking to Chloe and shows off.

Boys will be boys.
Juliana finally puts an end to it all

Premiere and Restagings

.

      2025 ………..  36th MDF, EM Pearson Theater, St Paul

      2021 …………  EM Pearson Theater

      2009 ……….  21st Minnesota Dance Festival

      2005 ……….  17th MDF, Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul

      1995  ……….. Youth Concert Series

      1994  ……….  Premiere: UMN St Paul Student Center, St Paul Campus

.
                * Choreographer Andrew Rist and Composer Robert E Hindel have collaborated on the creation
                   of seven story ballet of which ‘At the Museum’ was the first.

Degas Statue

Chloe (Clara Jang) and the rest of the Ballerina Girls race to get in line as Juliana leads the girls out of the Museum
Chloe’s friends were gone. The lights grew dark. It was but wasn’t the same place.
The Degas Statue comes to life in front of Chloe
Chloe & the Degas Statue immediately become friends.
It is a time of wonder and joy for Chloe and the Degas Statue
It seemed as if the playing would never stop
The friends bow to the ballet master who stepped out of the Degas Painting

Degas Painting

The Ballet Master and Ballerinas step out of the Degas Painting and begin to dance

Picasso Painting: ‘Seated Woman’

Picasso Painting (Zoe Charais and Tobias Joseph) comes to life accompanied by shadows.

Van Gogh Painting: ‘Starry, Starry Night’

Eva Kangas, Kaitlyn Kockelman, Olive Charais (center), Sophia Joseph, Mia Meyer, Adeline Shanahan

Eva Kangas, Beatrice Skulley, Adeline Shanahan, Mia Meyer, Sophia Joseph, Olive Charais, Kaitlyn Kockelmann
Beatrice Skulley

Kaitlyn Kockelman, Mia Meyer
Kaitlyn Kockelman, Eva Kangas, Adeline Shanahan