THE BUNNY BALLET

Two siblings attend a dreamy dance recital.

The tale begins with a fantastical invitation; a magical evening awaits at the bunny ballet, and our protagonists—a pair of tan-skinned children—are eager to take in the show. Having happily followed some bunnies down a rabbit hole, the human duo watch rapt as cotton-tailed prima donnas pirouette and plie, the stage lush with verdant flora and the dancers awash in the stunning glow of a golden sunset. At intermission, the attendees are tempted by rabbit-approved refreshments—Radish Razzle and Carrot Cordial chief among the alliterative offerings—until it’s time again for the lights to dim and Act 2 to begin. Bewhiskered ballerinas leap and bound, dazzling the cherubic children until curtain call, when they, too, retreat home for bed. Ericson’s text is made up of tightly rhyming couplets, employing just enough ballet terminology to prompt knowing nods from aspiring dancers, while her soothing rhythm keeps tempo like the tide. Though select stylistic elements invoke the pastoral aesthetic of Little Golden Books of yore, MacKay’s art is something special, a marriage of vintage and contemporary in its ethereal dreaminess and Technicolor detail. The result is an enchanting bedtime incantation, one that’s light on narrative tension and rich in immersive loveliness.

Encore-worthy.