Portland Ballet will continue their tradition of haunting holiday-themed performances this fall with Halloween Spooktacular, a "scary" show scheduled for Halloween Day. At 2 pm on Saturday the 31st, Portland Ballet Company will present six pieces choreographed by Nell Shipman, the company's Resident Choreographer and a Principal Dancer and Instructor for Portland Ballet. All ages are encouraged to attend the concert, and to come in costume. A Costume Parade will be held during intermission.

Musical selections for the creepy concert include works by Shostakovich, Berlioz, Puccini, and more. Spooky-themed pieces include "Night of the Living Dolls", "Love at First Bite", about vampires, "Danse Macabre", and others. Dancers from Portland Ballet Company and Portland Ballet's C.O.R.P.S. program will show off their scarier sides in "cadaverous" costumes.

Portland Ballet Company's dancers include Elizabeth "Appalling" Avantaggio, "Vicious" Vanessa Beyland, Megan "Boo!" Buckley, Derek "Creaking" Clifford, Morgan "Savage" Sanborn, "Nasty" Nelly Shipman, "Cadaverous" Katrina Smedal, Tyler "Spellbound" Sperry, "Rotting" Rachel Willis, Andrea "the Anarchist" Lucas, "Monstrous" Morgan Sanborn, and apprentices Anastasia "Sinister" Street, Emily "Beastly" Belanger, and Hannah "Wicked" Wallace.

Dancers from the C.O.R.P.S. program are Adam "Morbid" Mosey, "Quirky" Quincy Dean, "Awful" Arianna Lawson, Jacqueline "Bizarre" Bolduc, Brie "Scandalous" Sampson, "Mysterious" Mattie Woodside, Jane "Horrendous" Howard, Emily "Awful" Avery, "Abnormal" Abby Menard, and Julia "Kooky" Conley.

Spooktacular will be held on Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. at Portland High School's John Ford Theater. Tickets are available at www.BrownPaperTickets.com. For more information, please contact Portland Ballet at 207-772-9671 or visit www.portlandballet.org.

About Portland Ballet:
Portland Ballet was founded in 1980 with a mission to enrich the community through classical ballet training, education, outreach, and performance. This small professional company performs throughout the year in southern Maine, presenting full-length classics as well as highly regarded contemporary choreography under the direction of Artistic Director Eugenia L. O'Brien. For more information about Portland Ballet, its school and programs, visit www.portlandballet.org or call 207-772-9671.

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Spooktacular Program
Masquerade
Music: Shostakovich
Dancers: Elizabeth "Aaaaiiiieeee" Avantaggio, Derek "Creeping" Clifford, Andrea "Lurching" Lucas, Morgan "Slimy" Sanborn, "Nervous" Nell Shipman, "Cackling" Katrina Smedal, "Terrible" Tyler Sperry, Anastasia "Screeching" Street, Rachel "Wailing" Willis

Night of the Living Dolls
Music: Gounod
Dancers: "Marauding" Megan Buckley, Vanessa "The Vulture" Beyland, Andrea "Loathsome" Lucas, "Horrible" Hannah Wallace

Love at First Bite
Music: Puccini
Dancers: "Eerie" Elizabeth Avantaggio, "Demonic" Derek Clifford, Nell "Shuddering" Shipman, Tyler "Spooky" Sperry

INTERMISSION & COSTUME PARADE

Unnamed
Music: Berlioz
Dancers: Emily "Awful" Avery, Emily "Beastly" Belanger, Jacqueline "Bizarre" Bolduc, Julia "Kooky" Conley, "Quirky" Quincy Dean, Jane "Horrendous" Howard, "Abnormal" Abby Menard, Adam "Morbid" Mosey, Brie "Scandalous" Sampson, "Heinous" Hannah Wallace, "Mysterious" Mattie Woodside

Now I lay me down to sleep…
Music: Grieg
Dancers: Emily "Bloodcurdling" Belanger, Vanessa "Bewitching" Beyland, "Murderous" Megan Buckley, Andrea "the Anarchist" Lucas, "Monstrous" Morgan Sanborn, Anastasia "Sinister" Street, "Wretched" Rachel Willis, Hannah "Wicked" Wallace

Danse Macabre
Music: Saint-Saens
Dancers: Elizabeth "Appalling" Avantaggio, "Vicious" Vanessa Beyland, Megan "Boo!" Buckley, Derek "Creaking" Clifford, Morgan "Savage" Sanborn, "Nasty" Nelly Shipman, "Cadaverous" Katrina Smedal, Tyler "Spellbound" Sperry, "Rotting" Rachel Willis