Ballard kids perform in PNB’s Cinderella

When the curtains go up on the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Cinderella, three Ballard kids will be on stage.

Students waiting for to rehearse Cinderella

Nine-year-old Jack Haskins and 10-year-old Theo DePina will be performing the part of bugs and 10-year-old Chloe Brown is a clock child. All three are in the first act.

Chloe Brown (center)

The three are a select group of just 62 kids from PNB’s school chosen to perform. “It’s pretty special to be in it because not everyone gets chosen to do it,” Haskins says.

“When we got our letters [that the children were selected] we were in the middle of Nutcracker so that’s always exciting because we’re already knee-deep in another big production and we got to continue it on into February,” Kippy DePina, Theo’s mom says.

Being able to perform is one of the rewards for their hard work. Brown has been in several other performances, but not Cinderella, which was last done in 2002. “It’s just a new experience,” Brown says. She says she’s most looking forward to performing on stage again, “This year I wasn’t in the Nutcracker because I didn’t try out, but I enjoyed that part [being on stage.]”

Jack Haskins (left) and Theo DePina (right) rehearsing

Choreographer Kent Stowell’s show is inspired by the original French fairy tale. It features 50 professional dancers, a live orchestra and more than 100 elaborately detailed costumes. “It’s going to be exciting it’s really beautiful, fun and good for kids because it’s a story ballet,” Kippy says. “It’s good for a first ballet to see with the story behind it because most people know the story of Cinderella.”

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Cinderella runs through February 13th. Tickets and information here.