To present original ballets that combine classical tradition and images of contemporary culture, while providing dance education and fostering appreciation of the art of ballet.
Ballet Ariel, founded in 1998 in Denver, Colorado, is a professional ballet company and school that combines classical ballet traditions with contemporary storytelling. Known for its original full-length productions like The Tale of Molly Brown and reinterpretations of classics such as The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Ballet Ariel performs across the Denver area and beyond. Committed to community engagement, it offers educational outreach through school performances, workshops, and after-school classes, making ballet accessible to diverse audiences. Ballet Ariel continues to captivate audiences with its artistry while nurturing the next generation of dancers.
EVENTS (2025-26 SEASON)
Little Women at The Schoolhouse Theatre
Ballet Ariel brings beauty and charm, resilience and community to the holiday season with a duo of ballets December 12-28. See original productions of Little Women accompanied by live music by Gossamer Winds, and the Nutcracker Suite, performed at two locations.
The first ballet of the holiday production is Little Women, based on the 1869 book by Louisa May Alcott. It follows the four March sisters, Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg, from Christmastime and beyond, as they grow up during the Civil War era and find their place in the world.
Schoolhouse Theatre
March 1, 2026
Adult tickets $30 with discounts for seniors, students and childrenTicket page
Coppelia – The Toymaker’s Doll
Ballet Ariel is pleased to present its Spring production, an original rendition of The Toymaker’s Doll, Coppelia this April and May
The production is reimagined by Artistic and Executive Director Ilena Norton with dances by Resident Choreographer Gregory Gonzales. One of the greatest comic ballets of all time is retold through original choreography with a Ballet Ariel twist. Children will love the shenanigans of a dancing doll and mischievous girl while adults will be drawn in by the sophisticated undertones of the Pygmalionesque story of a toymaker falling in love with his creation.
Coppelia was inspired by a story written by E.T.A. Hoffmann, whose novella The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was the inspiration for The Nutcracker. The ballet premiered in Paris in 1870, with music by Leo Delibes and choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon.
“I was excited to create a Ballet Ariel spin on the classic, reimagining Coppelia to be a more lively and entertaining version with a dancing doll Coppelia to the beautiful score by Delibes,” says Ilena Norton, Artistic and Executive Director of the ballet company.
Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre
119 Park Avenue West
DenverSaturday, April 18 at 3:00 pm
Lakewood Cultural Center
470 S Allison Pkwy
Lakewood, CO 80226Sunday, May 3 at 2:00 pm