Little Women Ballet Spring Immersive Experience

On the evening of May 24, 2025, I found myself transported in time as I attended the Little Women Ballet Spring Immersive Experience at the Heritage Square Museum. Choreographed and directed by Emma Andres, the delightful performance used ballet, storytelling, and environment to capture the beloved tale of Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women.

Little Women Ballet – Photo courtesy of the company.

Upon my arrival, I was greeted by narrators dressed from head to toe in their 1860’s Civil War era costumes and then placed into a group to be led through the museum by our narrator, Aunt March, performed by Denise Moses. Moses had a stellar commitment to her role as she took us through varying houses and storylines with comedic flare. Our first home showcased a performance in the ornate 1800’s style living room by characters Meg and Beth, performed gracefully by Jill Oates and Claire Simmons. The two performed with great physical technique and had a strong and clear relation to one another. I applaud Oates for performing on the hardwood and carpet whilst wearing pointe shoes as pointe work is challenging enough on a proper sprung Marley floor. However, seeing Simmons perform her solo in flat ballet shoes there was a clear sense of ease and control as she took the space. There was no hesitancy in Simmons’ performance and she executed her emotional state beautifully.

Little Women Ballet – Photo courtesy of the company.

Our next stop was Louisa May’s home, the writer and storyteller performed by Riley Jennings. Although this portion of the show did not include any dancing, it was a fun moment of audience interaction where we were invited to act out a story written by Louisa.

The third home had a moment from the past performed by four children representing the younger versions of Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy. Performed by Charlotte Orlando, Eleni Rodriguez, Isla Bischoff, and Laila Jennings, the four dancers brought a wonderful joy to the space and it was a pleasure to watch. Joining them in this house was their mother Marmee performed by Ludmila Malakhov who had a stunning and emotional solo reflecting her longing for her husband who was away in the war. Malakhov had energy that radiated through the tips of her fingers and she was able to draw me in with something as simple as a gesture.

Little Women Ballet – Photo by Edie Tyebkhan.

One of my personal favorite houses was the fourth stop on our tour where we met Jo, Amy, and Jo’s suitor Laurie, performed by Anna-Lee Rohovec, Madison Marsh, and Christopher Flores. Each dancer performed with stellar technical skill and a vibrant emotional performance which showed that each dancer had a clear understanding of their character and their relationship to the others. Rohovec and Flores shared a duet that highlighted each of their abilities to truly use dance to tell a story. The complex relationship between the two was portrayed with dynamic choreographic choices and a performance from the dancers that felt honest and present.

Little Women Ballet – Photo courtesy of the company.

The finale of this experience culminated in the church of the Heritage Square Museum where each character and audience member gathered for Meg’s wedding celebration. It was a joyous conclusion with dancing that incorporated social dances from the time period like the polka infused with traditional ballet. Andres’ choreography and direction is a fantastic example of how using dance to tell stories can take shape in many forms. The attention to detail that went into the curation of this event is what makes it a spectacular, family friendly, and fun show to attend. The full length ballet will be presented at the historic Pasadena Playhouse on June 21st and 22nd and if it’s anything like what I experienced this past weekend, it surely will not disappoint.

For more information about Little Women Ballet, please visit their website.

Written by Rebecca Lee for LA Dance Chronicle.

Featured image: Little Women Ballet – Spring Site-Specific – Photo by Edie Tyebkhan.