If you’d like to donate blood and don’t mind if Dracula is lurking nearby, plan to attend a community blood drive on Saturday in the parking lot of The Ballet Conservatory at 1400 FM407 in Highland Village. The blood drive benefits Carter Blood Care and the event is sponsored by The LakeCities Ballet Theatre, founded in 1984 to promote and preserve the art of ballet in the Lake Cities area. This event ties in with the next production of the group, which will be Le Ballet de Dracula on October 9-10. In addition to being exemplary ballet students, Executive Committee Member and Flower Mound resident Polly Pardo said those in the LakeCities Ballet also enjoy being good citizens. “The girls also give back to the community and that’s why we have the blood drive.” she said. “We felt this event would add to our upcoming ballet with a bite.”

     If you would like to donate blood Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., you can sign up online at carterbloodcare.org. Appointments are recommended, but they can also accommodate walk-ins. Dancers will be in character at the blood drive, so don’t be surprised if you catch a glimpse of Dracula or one of his brides. This is the first blood drive the group has sponsored and they thought the tie-in with their Dracula shows was just too good to pass up. “I would like this to be the first of many blood drives that we host,” said LakeCities Ballet Treasurer Sharon Schweitzer. While it is the first year for the blood drive, it is the fourth year that LBT has performed “Le Ballet de Dracula.” The ballet performances on Oct. 9 and 10 have about 40 dancers involved in the production and many of them are students at local schools in Flower Mound and Highland Village. Their ages range from 11 years on up. At each performance, there will be a costume contest at intermission, according to Schweitzer. “These performances are a great alternative to Halloween,” she said. “You can take your children to a safe environment where they can see a live performance and can also dress in costume.”

     Artistic Director Kelly Lannin said the story is an original ballet, based on the original tale of Dracula. Their art director Tom Rutherford wrote the story and she selected the music and choreographed the dance. “The special effects are amazing,” Pardo said. “There will be a gigantic surprise at the end of the first act involving Dracula’s departure from the village.” Although Dracula is a scary character, many in the audience will be students that know the truth about this particular Dracula; he is their fourth grade teacher who also has his degree in dance. One of the goals of the LakeCities Ballet is to offer something to all segments of the community and Lannin said this Halloween season production entices many males to come to the ballet who ordinarily might not attend. Those with roles in Dracula include the following local dancers who also attended out of town professional ballet programs last summer: Brooke Hurlbut, Melissa Mowery, Sally Schweitzer, Carlie Derrick and Elaine Hanson of Highland Village, Amanda Evans of  Copper Canyon, Kendall Galey and Victoria Pardo of Flower Mound and Laine Habony of Lantana. For more information about the blood drive or the Dracula performances contact LakeCities Ballet Theatre at 972-317-7987 or visit lakecitiesballet.org

     If you would like to donate blood Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., you can sign up online at carterbloodcare.org. Appointments are recommended, but they can also accommodate walk-ins. Dancers will be in character at the blood drive, so don’t be surprised if you catch a glimpse of Dracula or one of his brides. This is the first blood drive the group has sponsored and they thought the tie-in with their Dracula shows was just too good to pass up. “I would like this to be the first of many blood drives that we host,” said LakeCities Ballet Treasurer Sharon Schweitzer. While it is the first year for the blood drive, it is the fourth year that LBT has performed “Le Ballet de Dracula.” The ballet performances on Oct. 9 and 10 have about 40 dancers involved in the production and many of them are students at local schools in Flower Mound and Highland Village. Their ages range from 11 years on up. At each performance, there will be a costume contest at intermission, according to Schweitzer. “These performances are a great alternative to Halloween,” she said. “You can take your children to a safe environment where they can see a live performance and can also dress in costume.”

     Artistic Director Kelly Lannin said the story is an original ballet, based on the original tale of Dracula. Their art director Tom Rutherford wrote the story and she selected the music and choreographed the dance. “The special effects are amazing,” Pardo said. “There will be a gigantic surprise at the end of the first act involving Dracula’s departure from the village.” Although Dracula is a scary character, many in the audience will be students that know the truth about this particular Dracula; he is their fourth grade teacher who also has his degree in dance. One of the goals of the LakeCities Ballet is to offer something to all segments of the community and Lannin said this Halloween season production entices many males to come to the ballet who ordinarily might not attend. Those with roles in Dracula include the following local dancers who also attended out of town professional ballet programs last summer: Brooke Hurlbut, Melissa Mowery, Sally Schweitzer, Carlie Derrick and Elaine Hanson of Highland Village, Amanda Evans of  Copper Canyon, Kendall Galey and Victoria Pardo of Flower Mound and Laine Habony of Lantana. For more information about the blood drive or the Dracula performances contact LakeCities Ballet Theatre at 972-317-7987 or visit lakecitiesballet.org