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<\/p>\nDallas Arts\u202fMonth, the\u202fcity-wide celebration that\u202fshowcases\u202fthe city’s vibrant arts and culture\u202fscene,\u202fis in full swing.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
The month-long event is a great reminder that we have a whole city of visual,\u202fmusical\u202fand performing arts just waiting to be explored. With that in mind,\u202fnow is\u202fthe perfect opportunity to take a leap and try something new.\u202f<\/p>\n
\u202fAnd speaking of leaping (pun fully intended), Ballet North Texas\u202fis\u202fembracing the month with the help of a fairy godmother and a glass slipper.\u202f\u202fIts production of the classic ballet “Cinderella” is coming to Moody Performance Hall this month.\u202f<\/p>\n
KERA\u2019s Alexsis Jones and I paid a visit to the studio a few weeks ago to see firsthand how the art of dance plays into Dallas Arts Month.\u202f\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
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Nicolina Lawson (left) is the artistic director and founder of Ballet North Texas. She’s seen here with dancer Sofia Redford during a photo shoot at the studio. <\/p>\n
The company was bustling about with costume fittings, final rehearsals and photo shoots, and in the middle of it all was Nicolina\u202fLawson, artistic director and founder of Ballet North Texas.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
Lawson, who founded the company back in 2017, has been dancing her whole life.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy mom was a dancer, so\u202fI’m\u202fpretty sure\u202fI was dancing in the womb,\u201d Lawson laughed. \u201cAnd then grew up in the studio.\u201d\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
But it isn\u2019t just dance. Lawson\u2019s involvement with the arts goes deep. She also played an instrument, and her grandfather was a conductor.<\/p>\n
“The arts have just always been a big part of my life,” Lawson said. “I think arts month is important because it exposes the arts to people that maybe don’t have that in their daily lives and I think it’s a way for us to share what we do on a bigger platform.”<\/p>\n
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Dancers at Ballet North Texas rehearse on March 23, 2026, for an upcoming performance of Cinderella. <\/p>\n
GIVE BALLET A WHIRL<\/p>\n
Lawson is hoping Ballet North Texas\u2019 production of the fairytale ballet will draw audiences in for Dallas Arts Month, not only because of romance and the familiar story of the girl with the glass shoe, but also because–well,\u202fit’s\u202fa good time.\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u202foffers that comic relief with the stepsisters and the mom, and\u202fthere are some other funny elements that happen,\u201d Lawson said. \u201cIt\u202fkind of reaches\u202fa little bit of\u202fall of\u202fthose emotions, and that I think is something that is relatable for most people.\u201d\u202f<\/p>\n
Because there is no dialogue, ballet can sometimes be intimidating–especially if\u202fyou’ve\u202fnever been to one. If\u202fyou’re\u202fwatching a ballet that tells a story, like Cinderella, Lawson says you should\u202fidentify\u202fthe characters and then let the story build freely in your mind.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cI think\u202fwhat’s\u202funique about ballet specifically is, because\u202fwe’re\u202fnot using\u202fwords, there’s\u202fnothing literal about it,\u201d Lawson said\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cThere might be a scene where somebody thinks\u202fit’s\u202fhilarious and\u202fanother person might think, \u2018Wow, that\u202fstepsister is awfully mean.\u2019\u202fSo,\u202fI think\u202fletting\u202fyour own interpretation of what\u202fyou’re\u202fwatching is incredibly valuable as a patron.\u201d\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
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Alexis Breen rehearses for Ballet North Texas’ performance of Cinderella. <\/p>\n
FINDING CINDERELLA<\/p>\n
Alexis\u202fBreen,\u202fwho plays\u202fCinderella,\u202fsays the most surprising thing that audiences will find at this ballet is the range of emotion for the title character.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
She is a very deep character, but\u202fit’s\u202fdelicate in the way you portray her,\u2019 Breen explains. \u201cThat’s\u202fsomething that\u202fI’m\u202freally working on. You\u202fcan’t\u202fjust be super extroverted with how\u202fyou’re\u202fgoing\u202fto play Cinderella. You\u202fhave to\u202ftake a step back and almost internalize the feelings so they\u202fcan be shown to the audience.\u201d\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
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Dancers Ella Brady and Daniel Walley chat before a photo shoot at Ballet North Texas. <\/p>\n
CHALAMET SHMALOMET<\/p>\n
Now we\u202fcan’t\u202ftalk about ballet without mentioning the elephant in the room–and that is\u202fTimoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2019s \u202fremark about no one caring about ballet or opera anymore. Assistant Artistic Director Cindy Michaels has an interesting take on a live performance vs. watching a movie.\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cIn a movie, the director decides where your attention is going to go by directing the camera, so at any given\u202ftime\u202fyou’re\u202fonly looking at what the director wants you to see,\u201d Michaels said. \u201cIn a live\u202fperformance,\u202fit’s the people on stage telling the story and\u202fhaving to\u202fdraw the audience’s attention to them. And then with our mime and our gestures, we\u202fhave to\u202fhold them long enough for the audience to understand\u202fwhat’s\u202fbeing said. There is no help that they\u202freceive\u202fand\u202fthere are\u202fno retakes.\u201d\u202f\u202f<\/p>\n
In the end, ballet is about inviting the audience into your story. Breen describes it like this in a very Cinderella-like way.\u202f<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is something that everyone should feel comfortable and welcome to,\u201d Breen said.<\/p>\n
Breen said the goal is to really excite people from all walks of life and all generations.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u202fwant to\u202fsee kids in the audience. I want\u202fto see\u202ffamilies coming to the show because\u202fthat’s\u202fwhy I do it, and\u202fthat’s\u202fso\u202fmany of\u202fus\u202fdo it, is to send the message to the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Details:<\/a> Performances of Ballet North Texas\u2019 production of Cinderella are on Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11, at 8 p.m. at Moody Performance Hall in Dallas. There is also a sensory-friendly matinee on Saturday, April 11, at 2 p.m.<\/p>\n You can also catch these dance performances during Dallas Arts Month.<\/p>\n Pegasus Contemporary Ballet – Common Language<\/a> – April 3 & 4, Kalita Humphreys Theater<\/p>\n Dallas Black Dance Theater: Rising Excellence <\/a>– April 17 & 18, at Moody Performance Hall<\/p>\n