Join the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet at the historic Akron Civic Theatre this spring for an exciting performance of the Storybook Series Ballet The Empty Pot, and the world premiere of Tom Evert’s newest work, At My BEST. The Empty Pot is a one-act story ballet based on the celebrated children’s book, written and illustrated by Demi in 1990.  Told through a series of scenes set in ancient China, it is the story of an aging Emperor and his quest to find a successor to rule his beloved kingdom.  The emperor’s love of flowers inspires him to challenge the children of the kingdom to a contest to determine the next ruler.  One boy, Ping, stands out from the rest in a most inspiring way.  The Empty Pot is a delightful tale with an important message about honesty, integrity, and strength of character. Tom Evert’s At My BEST is a presentation of the elements of dance and the four faculties of being fully present: Body, Breath, Attention, and Feeling.  BEST is an acronym for Body, Energy, Space, and Time: The elements of dance.  This world premiere original ballet, set to engaging music by ten-time Grammy award winner Bobby McFerrin, is sure to be a favorite for audiences of all ages. The Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet provides professional level training and performance opportunities to talented dancers’ ages 8 to 18.  Its mission is to educate and entertain Northeastern Ohio communities through its outreach efforts and world class performances.

Performances of The Empty Pot and At My BEST will take place at the Akron Civic Theater:

• Saturday March 14th, 2009 at 2:30 and 7:30 pm.
• Sunday March 15th, 2009 at 2:30 pm.
  
  Tickets prices are $25, $18, and $12, with group and Boy/Girl Scouts discounts available. Tickets may be purchased through Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the Akron Civic Theatre box office at 330-253-2488.  For more information please call the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet’s information line at 330-996-1100.