TINY TIME, SCROOGE AMONG LEOTARDS

In a room crowded Saturday afternoon with young female dancers, Dana Goodin Vanoni tried to coax a younger and reluctant Jared Ritter to skate across the floor. Of course, in the studio at the Academy of Dance Arts, Jared wasn't wearing skates.

"Nobody knows what they're doing," Goodin Vanoni assured the Clippard School student. "It's all fake. Pretend."

Come December, the son of Laura and Kenny Ritter of Cape Girardeau will pretend he's Tiny Tim in Goodin Vanoni's theatrical ballet "Carol's Dream."

Goodin Vanoni came from her home in Italy earlier this month to conduct auditions and begin teaching the work to more than 60 dancers and actors who will appear in the "Christmas Carol"-based work. The performances in December at Academic Auditorium will benefit the Community Counseling Center Foundation.

The production is both ballet -- classical and contemporary -- and drama, a combination that provides "a real theatrical story with real characters people know and love," Goodin Vanoni says. "It kind of makes you have chills go up and down your spine."

Her "Carol's Dream" was first performed in Italy 10 years ago. It is the "Christmas Carol" story told through the dream of a woman she will play. Goodin Vanoni's niece, Danielle Gross, will play the woman as a young girl.

Because many more dancers than usual will appear in the Cape Girardeau version, she rewrote the ballet and added scenes. None of the actors will speak, but narrators will provide information to explain some of the action.

Goodin Vanoni has landed some familiar faces, voices and names to appear in the production. KFVS-TV anchors Dave Courvoisier and Mary-Ann Maloney will be the narrators. Retired Judge William Rader will play Marley.

Goodin Vanoni is the director of the Dance Theatre Ensemble in Varese, Italy. Her trips to see family members here often are the occasion for a public performance or a demonstration in the schools.

Four dancers from Goodin Vanoni's company will perform in this production.

Scrooge will be played by KFVS-TV News Director Mike Beecher, who says he was drafted despite a lack of acting experience since elementary school. "My wife says they're typecasting," he said.

This was his second rehearsal. "I'm feeling my way through it," Beecher said. "It's an existential experience."

Caroline Tetrick, a Schultz School student who will dance in the ballet, tried out for a part after seeing a newspaper announcement for auditions.

"I like the variety of people in it and the way it moves between past, present and future," she said. Her parents are Linda and Nate Tetrick of Cape Girardeau.

Dan Berry will play Bob Cratchet, and his son, Daniel Berry, will play the young Scrooge. Champ Friend will portray Scrooge's nephew, Fred. Rich Behring will play the collector at the poor house.

Goodin Vanoni has many lieutenants who will rehearse "Carol's Dream" until she returns Dec. 6. They include Academy of Dance Arts Director Jo Ann Ruess and Academy of Dance Arts teachers Kendall Blattner and Kara Hammes. Blattner and Hammes also will perform in the production.

The theatrical side of the production is being directed by Vikki Holt Courvoisier and Cynthia Wyatt. Holt Courvoisier, the narrator's wife, is a theater graduate of Southeast who is now a nurse. Wyatt is the drama teacher at Central High School.

They will videotape rehearsals of the production to keep Goodin Vanoni up-to-date on its progress.

Dennis Seyer, a professor of theater at Southeast, is in charge of lighting effects.

Two performances for area schools will be given Dec. 16. On Dec. 17 there will be Family Night, when children's tickets will be half price. On Dec. 18 there will be a gala, and a matinee will be performed on Dec. 19. All performances will be at Academic Auditorium.

Tickets are not yet on sale but will be sold through the Community Counseling Center.

The co-chairs of the event are Laurie Bernhardt and Teri Wilson.