NIGHTMARE
Book: Andrew Rist
Choreography: Andrew Rist
Original Score: Robert E Hindel
Costumes: Cheryl Rist
Sets: Jeff Annis, JIm Arnold
Photographs: Dave Trayers

The following excerpt is from the book.

            The first book chronicling the adventures of the ballerina girls is titled, ‘At The Museum’.   It tells the story of the thirteen ballerina girls and their visit to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.  If you read it you will find out what happens when one girl, Chloe, gets left behind.  You will find out what happens when the Degas statue, Picasso’s ‘Seated Woman’, Van Gogh’s ‘Starry, Starry Night’ and Degas’ ‘The Dancing Class’ come to life. It was first produced as a ballet in 1994.

            ‘Nightmare’ the second book chronicling the adventures of the ballerina girls was also first a ballet. The original story took place at a ballet boarding school, Classical Ballet Academy of Minnesota, in the evening just before bed.  The girls played a while, got into their pajamas, danced the Charleston, caught a boy trying to recover his baseball and then fell asleep.  The rest of the ballet was about Chloe’s nightmare.

            The ballet has been performed four times since 1996 (its premiere) and each time bits and pieces were added to the story.   For instance the Fitzgerald ghost did not appear until the last production in 2010.  During a rehearsal break in 2007 I was sitting in the theater talking with Tom Campbell (production manager for the Fitzgerald Theater).  He told me about Ben, the Fitzgerald ghost.  Ben was a stagehand during the roaring twenties and died mysteriously near the theater.  Ever since there have been several reported sightings of him.

            Many other additions have evolved over the years.  The Emerald-Green Granite Arch and the land of Jippity-Jack were added in the book.  The Golden-Beaked One was originally a shadow but became the creature from the land of Jippity-Jack.  The ballerina girls performing in Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony was added in the book.   The scarlet (originally green) blob was added during the 2007 production.  Also, the names of the girls did not happen until the writing of the book.  It has been an adventure watching the story evolve over the years. 

            Nightmare, the ballet, was created and produced on the 8th Minnesota Dance Festival April 5, 1996 at the O’Shaughnessy Theater in St Paul, Minnesota.  Since then the ballet has been restaged four times.  The last restaging was at the 22nd Minnesota Dance Festival (2010) held at the Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul, Minnesota. Choreography was by Andrew Rist.  Robert E Hindel composed the music.  Cheryl Rist designed the costumes.  Jim Arnold & Jeff Annis designed the sets.  And, it was during the 2010 production that the photos for this book were taken by Dave Trayers.           - Andrew Rist -

2007 PHOTOPAGE

2002 PHOTOPAGE

14th Minnesota Dance Festival
April 5-6, 2002
Fitzgerald Theater, St Paul

2002 CAST

Chloe: Casey Hauk
Boy: Collin
Juliana: Melanie Hughes


Ballerina Girls: Elena Ahmann, Sarah Amsterdam, Sarah Bulger, Anja Crowder, Kacey Hauk, Michelle Ho, Meredith Lis, Sarah Mickens, Susie Moen, Shona Mosites, Rebecca Pelletier, Monica Rojas, Shiela Sinha, Elizabeth Slater, Kaitlin Veenstra

Wraiths: Emily Baierl, Mariana Wong

Floating Appariation: Julia Heggernes, Geoff Leung, Bard Jacula