Take Flight with Peter Pan, A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, and the Reno Phil

Published February 28, 2025

Take Flight with Peter Pan, A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, and the Reno Phil

In two weeks, A.V.A. Ballet Theatre and the Reno Phil will be presenting Peter Pan at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. Peter Pan is the captivating story of Peter Pan and Wendy and their adventures in Neverland. Fairies, pirates, and the Lost Boys all have starring roles in this fantasy adventure. This classic story is filled with mesmerizing dance, intrigue, and is fun for the entire family.

Filer image element — *Photo: Carmon DeLeone*

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s artistic director, Alexander Van Alstyne, has re-staged and re-choreographed Peter Pan to the beautiful Carmon DeLeone score. Maestro DeLeone is not only the composer of the music for the ballet but will also be conducting the Reno Phil. This will be an encore performance of Peter Pan for DeLeone in Reno. He conducted his Pulitzer-nominated masterpiece here six years ago. DeLeone is in his 57^th year as the Music Director of the Cincinnati Ballet. What a special treat it’s going to be to see the composer conduct his own original score.

Peter Pan was created by Scottish playwright and novelist J.M. Barrie. Peter is a young boy who can fly and never grows up. He’s mischievous and free-spirited and spends his everlasting childhood having adventures on the fabled island of Neverland. Peter is the leader of the Lost Boys. Lost Boys are boys who fall out of their stroller (Barrie called it a pram) when the nanny is looking away. According to the book, if they are not claimed within seven days they are sent to Neverland where Peter Pan is their captain. In the novel, Peter explains that there are no Lost Girls as they are far too clever to fall out of their prams.

When in Neverland, Peter and his Lost Boys consort with fairies, mermaids, pirates, Native American princesses, and – once in a while – by children like Wendy and her brothers John and Michael from the outside world. Peter accidentally meets Wendy when he’s caught in her home trying to retrieve his shadow. He invites her and her brothers to leave their London house so they can see the exciting world of Neverland. While there, they encounter the Tiger Lily, Tinkerbell, a ticking crocodile and, of course, Captain Hook.

The starring role of Peter is being performed by Johnny Castle. Castle has training in a mix of dance styles, and was a trainee with Colorado West Performing Arts Company for the 2023-2024 season. His training has also taken him to intensives with BalletMet and Nashville Ballet, and he has been enrolled in the Professional Training Division at Ballet West. He was the Prince in A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s 2024 production of The Nutcracker.

Wendy is being performed by local dancer Julia Zorio. Zorio is 16 years old and a junior at Bishop Manogue High School and a dancer with A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s corps de ballet. She is a National Honors Society member. She has attended the Conservatory of Movement since she was seven years old under the guidance of Barbara Land, Miriam Allen, Alexander Van Alstyne, and Eve Allen Garza. Julia has completed her advance1 Royal Academy of Dance exam with a gold distinction. She has performed in a range of roles for A.V.A. Ballet Theatre since 2015 when she danced in her first The Nutcracker. In that holiday classic, she has danced as an angel, party girl, snow waltz, Mirliton, and Clara. In the corps de ballet, she has danced as a soloist for Swan Lake, Vortex, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Coppelia, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella.

Captain Hook is being performed by Logan Pachciarz. Pachciarz began his dance career with the guidance of Shelly Washington in Twyla Tharp’s dance company Tharp! After extensive traveling, he continued his classical training at the North Carolina School of the Arts. At age 18, he joined the Boston Ballet. In 2001, Logan joined the Kansas City Ballet. During his 15 years with the company, he performed leading roles in a diverse repertoire. He was recognized by Dance Magazine’s Wendy Perron as one of the best dancers of 2016. Mr. Pachciarz is currently the co-artistic director of Moving Arts Kansas City and Cincinnati. Pachciarz has starred as Drosselmeyer in A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker for the past several years and had reoccurring roles in their productions of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.

For Peter Pan, Van Alstyne has secured elaborate sets from the Eugene Ballet. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre owns the biggest mechanical crocodile to ever grace the Pioneer Center’s stage. I have to give a shoutout to its creator, Bruce Lundstrom.

Joining Castle, Pachciarz, and Zorio on stage for Peter Pan will be the large cast of dancers from A.V.A. Ballet Theatre. These talented dancers will fill the stage with color and grace. Van Alstyne’s choreography includes the “flying” of four performers. Having this many people fly is a complex process that keeps the talented stagehands at the Pioneer extremely busy. I’ve seen some of the rehearsals and the flying, dancing Wenches, and Lost Boys are sure to put a smile on your face.

DeLeone’s music alone is worth the ticket price. I’ve said many times over the years, once you’ve seen and heard a ballet performance with a live orchestra there is really no comparison to one with a recording. It’s even better when the person conducting the orchestra is the composer.

I invite you to join me at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts this Saturday and Sunday. Watch and listen as all of these talented artists bring “Peter Pan” to life.

Steve Trounday is a board member at A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center. A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will be performing Peter Pan Saturday March 15and Sunday March 16with the Reno Phil.