Falmouth, Maine –“I liked the magic curtain” chimed several Falmouth second graders as they left the Maine State Ballet studios on Tuesday, June 14.  The magic curtain to which they were referring is called a scrim, a thin backdrop curtain or screen used in theatrical productions to create special effects or illusions.   

All eight second grade classes from Falmouth's Lunt School were treated to Maine State Ballet’s annual “Behind the Curtain” program. Christine Marshall Dow, Maine State Ballet dance instructor and artistic director for Mad Horse Theatre, cleverly illustrated the use of the scrim by having the classroom teachers disappear and reappear behind the scrim on stage with different lighting. Through a discussion of how designers prepare backdrops and scenery, Dow explained how there are more jobs in theater behind the scenes as there is often, “More to do off stage than on stage."

Maine State Ballet Artistic Director Linda MacArthur Miele, covered costume and mask making, sharing an array of wardrobe items while describing how fabric, dye and paint can make story ballet characters come alive. The children tried on several of the masks, which included a bird, duck, rabbit, cats, and a wolf.  The most popular one was clearly the mice or “rat masks” from the Nutcracker.

Students also learned to sing and dance to a song from Mary Poppins, blending tap, ballet and jazz steps into a short production and then performing on the Maine State Ballet Theater stage.

Maine State Ballet along with its affiliate School for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization offering dance training and educational outreach in ballet, tap, jazz, and musical theater to over 500 students.  Maine State Ballet performs regularly in its unique in-house theater on Route One in Falmouth in addition to staging performances of The Nutcracker each year at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. Maine State Ballet's annual 40 performances feature classical family-oriented ballets like Sleeping Beauty as well as Broadway style shows like Tap, Tap, Jazz, the Choreographers Showcase of contemporary dance artists, and world-premiere productions.