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Spotlight: Orlando Ballet Sinks Its Teeth Into Classical, Campy "Vampire's Ball"

Daniel Benavides dances the role of the lead vampire in Orlando Ballet's "Vampire's Ball." Photography by Michael Cairns, 2019
Daniel Benavides dances the role of the lead vampire in Orlando Ballet's "Vampire's Ball." Photography by Michael Cairns, 2019

The Orlando Ballet officially kicks off its 2019-2020 season on Halloween, with an updated and re-vamped return of a production that has been scary popular in the past!

"Vampire's Ball" was created by Orlando Ballet Artistic Director Robert Hill. It was last performed about four years ago, before the Ballet moved into its current home base for mainstage productions, the Walt Disney Theater at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.

Not only is it the premiere performance of "Vampire's Ball" in the Walt Disney Theater, but there are a few additional differences, says Hill. For one thing, the cast is new...except for Daniel Benavides, who has played the lead vampire four times over a decade, each time the piece has been staged. Hill says Benavides brings something new to the character for every production.

There's also updated choreography, eye-catching costumes, and new high-tech visuals. "We're introducing, this time, projections for some of the backdrops and scenery," Hill says. "It's really spectacular."

Expect a blend of classical ballet dancing and contemporary movement, along with a healthy dose of campy fun, Hill tells 90.7's Nicole Darden Creston.

Click the Play Audio button to hear their conversation.

Find more information about "Vampire's Ball" on Orlando Ballet's website.

Nicole came to Central Florida to attend Rollins College and started working for Orlando’s ABC News Radio affiliate shortly after graduation. She joined WMFE in 2010. As a field reporter, news anchor and radio show host in the City Beautiful, she has covered everything from local arts to national elections, from extraordinary hurricanes to historic space flights, from the people and procedures of Florida’s justice system to the changing face of the state’s economy.