Ballet 'Sleeping Beauty' performed today at River Campus

The Moscow Festival Ballet's performance of "The Sleeping Beauty" should be one that children will remember.

Assistant director of the Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus, Robert Cerchio, said tonight's ballet in the Bedell Performance Hall by the touring company is an example of a performance which equals good sales of tickets, but also holds a special meaning for some who attend.

Cerchio said ballets that come to the River Campus do well in terms of attendance, thanks in part to sales of tickets to young dancers in the area and their families.

"We have in this area several children's dance schools, which is typical for a community this size, and those schools actually generate more interest, I think, in ballet than other activities," he said.

According to Cerchio, parents, friends and family of the dancers want their daughters and granddaughters to experience the beauty of the ballet if they are going to take lessons.

"They think it's important to see what type of goals they are shooting for," Cerchio said.

As of noon Wednesday, around 80 percent of available tickets for tonight's performance had been sold.

Tonight's one-time performance in the Bedell Performance Hall begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available in the River Campus box office or by calling 651-2265. Tickets are also available through MetroTix outlets, online at metrotix.com or by calling 800-293-5949.