Ballet Benefit
Tix for Night Before Christmas on Dec 7&8 2026 for sale in Nov
The "Once Upon a Storytime" Series is an opportunity to for ballet students to share their developing talents with the broader community while making a positive impact in the lives of others. Ballet Aligned was delighted to support Operation Literacy as our benefit partner for Velveteen Rabbit. This non-profit is dedicated to improving children’s literacy. We are excited to support their mission to inspire a love of reading, foster creativity, and provide young people with the tools they need to tell their own stories! All our Once Upon a Storytime ballets strive to do a greater good! We invite YOU to be part of the magic! Your ticket purchase and/or sponsorship helps strengthen our community and serve the children of Cache Valley!
Images and Audience Reations from The Velveteen Rabbit:
"Seeing one of my favorite children's stories created in dance was so inspiring. I love the affordability of the tickets and knowing I am helping build the community simultaneously! I walked out of the theater feeling uplifted." ~ Rachel
"The Velveteen Rabbit was delightful. I would love to see it again! Of course, my favorites were the little ones. They were precious and I was amazed how well they danced!" ~ Rhoda
"Charming and thoughtful, meaningful for every age, an astounding performance of a timeless book!" ~ Susan
"I love how the narration not only drives the story but also leaves the audience with thought-provoking invitations. The ballets are enjoyable for kids and adults alike! Can't wait for the next one!!" ~ Lauren
"The music was perfect! I can hardly believe it wasn't composed just to tell this story! All the emotions were there. It was amazing" ~ Bre
Photo Credit to Jesse Walker Photography
Our Stars
Jaycee Preece as the Velveteen Rabbit - Jaycee is currently a student at Ballet Aligned and Dance Illusion, and formerly studied with Ballet West Academy and Cache Valley Civic Ballet. She has been dancing for 14 years and loves all styles of dance. Favorite ballet roles include, “Clara” in Ballet West's Nutcracker 2023, Gretel in Ballet Aligned's “Hansel and Gretel," and Music Box Doll in Ballet Aligned's “Night Before Christmas." She toured as “Wendy” in Salt Contemporary Dance show “Pan” for 3 years. This year, Jaycee competed with Ridgeline's State and Region Champion drill team and is dancing and competing with the Senior Premier team at Dance Illusion. She also tours and assists on stage as a Company member of Hollywood Vibe and Hollywood Dance Jamz Convention. She has been a backup dancer for Ava Max and Madison Beer in live performances in Las Vegas as well as dancing with the music group, Scarlet Opera in California. She is currently a new teen ambassador with The Little Lambs Foundation and is looking forward to being able to give back to her community.
Brianne Corbridge as the Nursery Fairy - Brianne holds a BFA in ballet from the University of Utah with an emphasis in teaching. While at the U of U, she created and co-directed club, the Interdisciplinary Performance Arts Collective, which provided student-led performance art in the greater Salt Lake Community. She choreographed, composed, and produced Air Bird, a full-length work performed at the Rose Wagner Studio Theater. Before attending the U of U, Brianne trained and performed with the Cache Valley Civic Ballet, coached by Steffanie Casperson (current Artistic Director of Ballet Aligned). Rolls there included leads in the Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Firebird, Dracula, and others. Brianne has also performed as a guest artist in Oquirrh Mountain Ballet’s Nutcracker. She is deeply interested in pushing her boundaries and discovering her potential as a performer, artist, and teacher.
Jordan Todd Brown as the Old Rocking Horse - Jordan has played the role of Santa and Ballet Aligned's "Night Before Christmas" production for two years. A native of Utah, he has over 10 years of experience studying and performing improvisational and sketch comedy. His professional training began at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) in Los Angeles - a world-renowned improv theater which produced some of America's most celebrated comedians, writers, and performers. Jordan performed and directed in improv festivals across the U.S. and abroad. A veteran at Pickleville Playhouse, he has written, directed, and performed in many productions, and has taught improv at summer camps. Jordan is a member of the acclaimed Story Pirates, an educational media company aiming to "nurture and inspire big thinkers, dreamers and creative problem solvers of tomorrow" by adapting kids' written stories and ideas to the world stage. His most recent endeavor is opening Wahoo Academy, teaching improv classes currently in Logan and American Fork.
About Ballet Aligned
Established in 2022 to ensure Cache Valley dancers receive the training necessary to achieve their dance dreams, Ballet Aligned employs teachers with professional dance backgrounds. Their "Once Upon a Storytime" ballet series gives every student age 4-18 an opportunity to be a part of a full ballet production AND participate in doing a greater good for our community. Rigorous but family-friendly, Ballet Aligned is the kind of program artistic director Steffanie Casperson (former professional ballerina and mother of four), hopes will bless the ballet world.
About our Benefit Partner
Operation Literacy is a 501c3 nonprofit on a mission to elevate children's literacy with an emphasis in reaching underserved populations by inspiring a love of reading, fostering creativity, and providing young writers with the tools they need to tell their own stories. They have been elevating children's literacy and combatting the growing children's literacy crisis since 2011.
Catch a Library Story Time
Free Storytimes at Cache Valley Libraries are offered in conjunction with this benefit performance. We'd love to see you at any of the following:
Hyrum Library, April 13 at 10:30, 11, & 11:30
Smithfield Library, March 24 at 10:30 & 11am
North Logan Library, April 14, 11am
Special Thanks to our Business Sponsors
