Audience members of all ages are invited to celebrate the wonder under the sea as the TJC Academy of Dance presents Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale, “The Little Mermaid.”
Performances will be in Wise Auditorium in the Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center on the TJC main campus.
Show times are:
• 7 p.m. Friday, April 8
• 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 9
• 2 and 5 p.m. Sunday, April 10
Admission is $15-$40, depending on seating choice, and tickets are available at TJC.edu/LittleMermaid.
A ticketed lunch with the cast members will be held at noon Saturday, April 9. Admission is $25 per person.
“I am so excited to bring this classic tale to life through dance!” said Shurrell Wiebe, artistic director. “Our dancers will be ‘swimming’ through the air in our new Rogers Palmer Performing Arts Center, so you won't want to miss this spectacular presentation. This show is great for the entire family, so feel free to bring young children and grandparents alike!”
Dance alumna Evelyn Robinson returns to the TJC stage
Guest artist will be Evelyn Robinson, an alumna of the TJC Academy of Dance.
Robinson, a Tyler native, now dances professionally in the main company of Atlanta Ballet — a rarity for a 19-year-old.
Evelyn Robinson
At age 7, Robinson began her training at the TJC Academy of Dance, where she studied under Thereza Bryce-Cotes, Shurrell Wiebe and Carolyn Hanna. At age 15, Evelyn began attending the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) on a full scholarship.
While at UNCSA from 2017 to 2020, she danced principal roles in Ethan Steifel’s “The Nutcracker,” Frederick Ashton’s “Symphonic Variations,” Joseph Mazilier’s “Paquita,” Petipa’s “Harlequinade” and “Sleeping Beauty,” and Ilya Kozadayev’s “Dream(s)pace.”
During her training, she attended Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Houston Ballet and the Royal Ballet’s summer programs. In 2020, Robinson competed at the Prix de Lausanne, in Switzerland, and was one of 21 dancers who advanced to the finals. After graduating from UNCSA’s high school program in 2020, she joined Atlanta Ballet 2, and subsequently joined the main company in 2022.
The cast and production staff
In addition to Robinson, the production is presented by the TJC Academy of Dance and performed by the TJC pre-professional program and dance department majors.
The cast includes: Jonathan Apoderado-Llave, Katie Beard, Camila Bravo, Jenna Broyles, Cailyn Bryce-Cotes, Molly Cannon, Jessica Carmona, Jameson Clark, Mackenzie Copfer, Karsyn Cunningham, Qwynnen Davis, Caleigh Duquette, Samuel Fink, Cheyenne Fink, Sarah Fisher, Chris Fisher, Stella Franks, Bella Garcia, Lisa Genovese, Jules Gregory, Skyla Horace, Hannah Hughes, Felicia Jarrett, Kileigh Johnson, Annabel Langford, Audrey Lassanke, Caroline Lesinewski, Kaylee Lesinewski, Mary Meadows Marshall, Nalani Mata, Ann Marie Mayfield, Zoe Grace Mazarre, Emma Morris, Maddison Nehls, Christalyn O’Keefe, Mariana Olivares-Ortiz, Zion Perez, Allie Phillips, Ainsley Pierce, Lyla Roycroft, Audrey Scarborough, Emma Scott, Leah Soto, Charlotte Steubing, Joslyn Swinney, Carmen Taylor, Rose Tucker, Ava Wamboldt, Adarius Washington, Brynn Wilder, Taylor Williams, Dirk Zwiebel and Clara Zwiebel
Production staff includes: Thereza Bryce-Cotes, Carolyn Hanna, Elexis Wiebe and Shurrell Wiebe, choreographers; Bryce McWilliams, director of theatre facilities; Ethan Beam, assistant director of theatre facilities; Angela Aguilera, stage manager; Jerremy Woods, lighting technician; Caden Crawford, sound technician; Holly McWilliams, scenic designer; Malika Stepasiuk, costume designer; Hope Scarborough, assistant costume designer; Kileigh Johnson and Julie Swinney, costume assistants; Allison Jarvis, wardrobe and storage coordinator; Cody Craig, Edmund Davies, Mallory Davis, Ian Martin, Liah Severino, Ty Waller and Robbie Wilt, stagehands; Elexis Wiebe, music/video edits; and Layla Sullivan, makeup artist.
For more information, go to TJC.edu/LittleMermaid.