New Orleans loves its vampires, and if there is a way for the city to celebrate its favorite monsters, it will find a way. One of the most recent and fun traditions to pop out of the Halloween season is the New Orleans Ballet Theatre’s “Dracula.”
For the last two weeks of the Halloween season, the NOBT has produced its own Dracula ballet, which has become a great attraction for those with a love of the undead. There was a wealth of fans at its opening on Friday, Oct. 24, many of them in costume excited to see their favorite vampire.
Rain Scott-Catoire and Xandria Danae are sisters who got to see the Dracula Ballet for the first time. Though the show was a first, they are absolutely no stranger to vampire stories. As the daughters of the first Anne Rice Fan Club president, growing up in a family where love of vampires was inherent, so attending the Dracula Ballet seemed like a no-brainer.
The ballet begins with the introduction of Mina, Lucy, Renfield and Jonathan Harker. It took a moment for the vampire himself to be revealed, but once he was, applause and cheers ripped through the crowd. Loud, excitable, and full of passion, there was no question that the audience held die-hard vampire fans.
In the ballet, the plot of the original 1897 book is often present, but there were some interesting and fun changes that touch on the direct relationship Louisiana has with vampires. Instead of three Brides of Dracula, the ballet had multiple “Casket Girls,” which is a reference of the New Orleans legend about the Casket Girls.
The NOBT’s Dracula is a tad bit different than what most people think of when they hear the name Dracula. With long hair, angular features and alluring movements, Dracula owned the stage. The inspiration from Anne Rice’s character Lestat was evident, as well as a fun way Louisiana was baked into the production.
Scott-Catoire and Danae have relatives who are dancers, but the ballet was something entirely new for them. The ballet had classical music built in, but also used songs like “You Give Me Fever” and “Day-O.” Its dancers also did not follow a classical ballet style.
“When Dracula starts, I’m like, ‘Woah, this doesn’t feel like a traditional ballet,’” said Scott-Catoire. “I could see more contemporary styles that I recognize from my sisters’ dancing. And I thought that it was so cool. The combination of it led to the horror and the dark nature of the story in a cool way.”
Danae agreed with Scott-Catoire’s assessment of the dance style, as well as how it assists with the plot points of the ballet.
“I think their jagged movements, opposed to the classical ballet style, helps with the atmosphere and the characterization of the vampires,” said Danae.
For many in Louisiana, especially vampire fans like Scott-Catoire and Danae, these characters and stories hold strong significance.
“One of my biggest takeaways about vampires and the culture is I love that monsters have become characters we empathize with and the ones we see ourselves in — no longer the villains of the story,” Scott-Catoire said. “They’re your protagonist. They’re the ones you love.”
In the crowd of hundreds of attendees, audience members were in vampiric, gothic and historical inspired clothes. Quite a few paraded around in different appearances of Count Dracula, while others simply wore Victorian-style clothes or bat-themed accessories.
“People will always gravitate towards the strange and obscure ’cause that’s what people resonate with,” Danae said. “It is that different feeling of being that outcast. The ‘strange’ vampire.”
For those who still wish to have a glimpse of the iconic vampire, there is one last show on Oct. 30. The New Orleans Ballet Theatre produces a mix of traditional and contemporary ballet, and a full season of performances is lined up for the year. More information is available on the NOBT website.
