Step into an enchanted forest this weekend at the Miller Center for the Arts, with the classic tale Hansel + Gretel, performed by the Berks Ballet Theatre. The whimsical fable, which follows a brother and sister lost in the forest, shows the pair quickly being throw from their path when a witch entices the children with dancing gumdrops and fanciful gingerbread.

The story of Hansel and Gretel may seem old, but thanks to resident choreographer, Nathan Bland, it’s seeing new life. Bland has created a new original performance piece inspired by the classic tale. Ending Berks Ballet Theatre’s 43rd season, Bland invited Reading Magazine to BBT’s GoggleWorks studio to get a sneak peek of the production.

“When working on new choreography a lot goes into the process and this is even truer when you are creating a story ballet. It’s not just working on the dance steps, but it’s how do we convey the story through the choreography. It’s a process that helps to push the dancers to speak without using their words, which can be a challenge for anyone” said Bland.

With dancers ranging from 7 to 17, Berks Ballet students have been rehearsing every week for the last two months. Although there are no spoken words, Bland is confident his students will give an exciting performance. “You can convey so much with the tilt of the head or a gesture combined with very specific eye intensity, it’s very nuanced. I am very proud of the work that we have done”.

Creating a unique performance isn’t easy. To help in the process, Bland made a careful musical selection. “I’ve used various composers, but mainly Oskar Nedbal a lesser known Czech composer. His music is very interesting and layered. I could see the story as I listened to his music and that helped the choreography flow.”

With a break in rehearsals, we caught up with two of the stars of the performance, Exeter High School Junior, Amber Warchol, and Governor Mifflin student student, Ahna Romanski, to talk about their roles.

Romanski, who will portray the witch said: “Very fun, very different, I’ve never done a part that’s so acting geared. We usually performances focused on dancing, which have an element to acting, but this is more acting which is fun. My favorite part is my scene together with Amber, where I chase her around the stage”

Warchol, who plays Gretel said: “I like the opportunity to work with a partner, it’s challenging, but also fun.” The role of Hansel will be played by Ricky Romero, a professional dancer with the First State Ballet Theatre in Wilmington, DE.

Berks Ballet Theatre’s performance of Hansel + Gretel will be held at the Miller Center for the Arts on May 4th, 2pm. For tickets visit: berksballettheatre.com/tickets

Also, before the show, there is a special pre-performance reception from 12:30 – 1:30pm, where guests can enjoy cupcakes by Ady Cakes, ice cream from Sweet Ride Ice Cream, along with a candy bar, snacks, crafts and story time! The cast of dancers will also be in costume available for taking pictures.

GoggleWorks and Albright College partnered once again for the 3rd annual Spring Iron Pour, held Saturday night outside the GoogleWorks. 2,000 pounds of reclaimed scrap iron was heated to 3,000 degrees for the event and poured into molds.

Leading the Iron Pour, and associated workshop, was GoggleWorks sculptor Tripp Jarvis. Jarvis currently exhibits nationally and internationally and is an alumni artist at Liberty Arts Studio and Foundry in Durham, NC.

In addition to the Iron Pour, the night also included a fire performance by Whirled Dreams, live music by Grexin, fire roasted food by Dundore & Heister, and Belly: Kitchen & Drinkery.

Prior to the Iron Pour, a casting workshop was held to review the process of cupola iron casting and the materials needed. Using oil based clay as the primary pattern material, participants created their own Mandala relief pattern and then used resin bonded sand molds to create a sculpture cast.

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The Reading Public Museum announced that it officially raised enough funds to purchase the oil painting, Henrietta with Red Book by noted American artist John French Sloan (1871 — 1951). To celebrate her homecoming, The Museum is hosting an exclusive champagne toast on Tuesday, May 14 at 5 p.m. for the donors who contributed $50 or more to support the acquisition.

Through a crowdsourcing campaign, The Museum raised more than $15,000 in public contributions which were then paired with funds raised by the collections committee to the acquisition. This was the first time crowdsourcing has been used by The Museum for this purpose, and it replaced the more traditional “Purchase Party” events that have been used to engage Museum Members previously.

The fundraising campaign for Henrietta began in February relying on the community’s help to fund the acquisition. Donors made their contributions by going online to The Museum’s GoFundMe or stopping at The Museum to drop off a donation. In March, The Museum’s Collection Committee then announced a dollar-for-dollar matching campaign for all donations made before April 1.

Scott Schweigert, curator of art at the Reading Public Museum noted, “John Sloan is an important early American modernist and Pennsylvania-born artist and we are thrilled that community saw the value in adding the wonderful portrait of Henrietta to the permanent collection. American art is one of RPM’s greatest strengths, and the new Sloan helps enhance that focus.”

Born in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Sloan spent his early career as a Philadelphia newspaper illustrator, as did fellow artists Everett Shinn, George Luks and William Glackens. Eventually these artists moved to New York and began painting gritty scenes of everyday life.

Sloan depicted the same modern woman Henrietta Mayer—a New York City ‘Shop Girl’ or store clerk and artist’s model—at least five times between 1913 and 1914. The canvases, especially this wonderful example from 1913, represent the artist’s experimentation with color. In RPM’s portrait, the artist emphasizes the contrast of the sitter’s porcelain skin against the striking blue background and the brown dress and hat that she wears. Sloan uses her coral necklace and small red book as colorful points of interest for the viewer. Another version of Henrietta is owned by the Delaware Art Museum.