'Secret Garden' is enchanting

"THE SECRET GARDEN," IMAGINE BALLET THEATRE, KURT BESTOR, Capitol Theatre, additional performance tonight (355-2787)

The process of bringing Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's classic story "The Secret Garden" to the stage is a challenge.

Last November, Imagine Ballet Theatre artistic director Raymond Van Mason brought the production to life in Peery's Egyptian Theater in Ogden. Now, he brings it to the Capitol Theatre.

The stage of the Capitol Theatre is deeper, and the space is taller. But that only means the company has more space to work with. And as with all dance performances, much of it is about timing.

This marks the first time the young dance company has performed to live music. When the ballet premiered, the dancers performed to a recording of Kurt Bestor's flowing and scenic score. This time, they dance to a live orchestra.

And they do it well.

But timing is only a fraction of the performance. What about the choreography and the character interpretations? Fortunately, IBT has a good choreographer — Van Mason, who was awarded the Best of State choreographer award last year.

"The Secret Garden" has been a labor of love for Van Mason, and his staging shows the time and care it takes to make a good, solid work of art.

The tale is told through the movements and the music in a concise, but not in a condescending way. Audience members may still want to bring some tissue for the tears that will come during the finale.

Tessa Whiting, 12, is a strong and emotional Mary. (Allysa Alger will dance the role tonight). Whiting's hypnotic stage presence draws the audience into her journey of adjusting to being an orphan and living with her widower Uncle Archibald Craven (Van Mason) and her sickly cousin Colin (Mitchell Perry).

Whiting's technique and charm carried this nearly two-hour production on Thursday.

And a hearty welcome back to former Ballet West dancer Christie Freebairn-Perry (Mitchell's mother) who dances the role of Lily Craven's spirit, Archibald's late wife.

And kudos to the IBT corps who rise to the occasion as the various garden animals and plants that keep the story moving.

The visuals of Mary entering into the secret garden, surrounded by rabbits, a fox, a squirrel and robin, the latter notably danced by Jennifer Jackson (Chelsea Keefer will dance the role tonight), is breathtaking, and audience members will find it easy to lose themselves in the scene, thanks to the set designed by Van M. Tinkham.

With timing, choreography and good dancers, Imagine Ballet Theatre's "The Secret Garden" is the perfect production for the whole family.

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E-mail: scott@desnews.com