Sequim Ballet’s free show

“Peter and the Wolf”

• 2 p.m., Saturday, July 25, and Saturday, Aug. 1

• Sequim City Civic Center Plaza, 152 W. Cedar St.

• Visit www.visitsunnysequim.com for more information.

The story of “Peter and the Wolf,” a composition written by Sergei Prokofiev in 1936, is to come alive through Sequim Ballet. The script, narrated by Boris Karloff, is the City Arts Advisory Commission’s premier show at the newly opened Sequim Civic Center Plaza.

The ballet is “campy, fun and a little dramatic,” Laurel Herrera, director and owner of Sequim Ballet, said. “We’re not trying to appeal to the elite ballet critics, but to a normal crowd,” she said. “I think people will be amazed.”

In a slightly tweaked version to include more characters, such as a “Flower Queen,” dancers with Sequim Ballet will retell the original musical tale of Peter, a defiant young boy, and a group of creatures conspiring to capture the Wolf. Not only will the 30-minute ballet be the first to entertain at the plaza, but for many of the dancers, it’s their first time performing outdoors.

To transform the concrete venue into a more conducive dance space, Herrera is bringing in a floor, but with fewer props, she anticipates both the dancers and the audience to use a bit more imagination.

“We’re not sure what to expect,” Herrera said. “So far, I think it’s all coming together.”

Adjusting to an outdoor venue has its challenges, but fortunately for many of the ballet dancers, they’re already familiar with “Peter and the Wolf,” given Sequim Ballet first presented it at a performance hosted by Olympic Theatre Arts in 2014.

“It was the first full ballet in Sequim,” Herrera said.

Herrera opened her studio in Carlsborg about five years ago to pursue her passion for “passing on a dying art,” she said. Under her instruction, students of Sequim Ballet learn Cecchetti, a classical Italian method of ballet.

For students truly aspiring to become ballet dancers, Herrera said, “they have to be willing to give up other things.”

Performances are planned sometimes a year in advance and in the three months leading to a show, the students are solely focused on practicing.

“It’s challenging and can be stressful,” she said. “But, it’s also a lot of fun and rewarding.”

Herrera is hopeful “Peter and the Wolf,” as the inaugural performance of the Civic Center Plaza, will expose the community to ballet and show how it’s both “fun to do and watch.”