Beck Center For The Arts Produces Beautiful

The Ugly Duckling Ballet

Beck Center for the Arts is excited to stage the upcoming Dance Education Production, The Ugly Duckling. Choreographed by Associate Director of Dance Education Melanie Szucs, this piece includes 65 students in the cast, ages seven to18. 

This hour-long ballet production is perfect for adults and children of all ages and is filled with colorful costumes and sets. This production is the traditional telling of The Ugly Duckling through Dance. The dancers portray farm animals (and other animals such as bees, butterflies, frogs, ladybugs, and birds) as well as two farmers. In addition, there are dancing flowers, golden leaves, and snowflakes to symbolize the changing seasons as the young swan matures and finds her place in the world. Visit our “farm” and experience this tale told through movement.

The lead of the Ugly Duckling is being danced by Lakewood High School Senior Meredith Barcelona.  She studies multiple dance disciplines at Beck Center and plans to continue her training as a dance major in college.

Melanie Szucs says, “Ugly Duckling is a retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale in dance where a little gray cygnet raised by a mother duck matures into a beautiful, graceful swan, and discovers acceptance and happiness.  The classic story reminds us not to judge others by how they look.”

This production of The Ugly Duckling will take place in the Senney Theater on Sat, April 13 at 7 p.m. and Sun, April 14, 2024 at 2 p.m. Purchase tickets at BeckCenter.org.

Beck Center is proud to also present Sensory-Friendly performances on Saturday, April 13 at 1 p.m., please RSVP at BeckCenter.org. For a Monday, April 15, 2024 at 10 a.m. Sensory-Friendly School Matinee, email Kelsey Heichel at KHeichel@beckcenter.org

Tickets for these performances are available for purchase now, and cost $12 for children and $14 for adults. Please call Customer Service for more details at 216-521-2540 or visit BeckCenter.org.

Beck Center is located at 17801 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood, just ten minutes west of downtown Cleveland. For more information visit beckcenter.org, or call Beck Center Customer Service at 216.521.2540.