
Ballethnic transforms the stage into a vibrant African jungle in The Leopard Tale. It is a high-energy, action-packed dance experience choreographed by Waverly T. Lucas II. This dynamic performance blends classical ballet with jazz, modern, and African dance concepts to create a powerful and unforgettable experience.
Audiences will witness pointe work, athletic jumps, intricate partnering, and dramatic character portrayals as dancers embody jungle animals through expressive movement, detailed makeup, and stunning costumes.
Follow the leopard’s journey through the African savannah as it interacts with the leopardess and navigates a world of predators and prey. Graceful gazelles leap and twirl to evade danger, jazzy zebras dazzle with rhythm and stripes, lions charge with commanding presence, and serpentine snakes slither through the rainforest.
Set to an original score by North Carolina native L. Gerard Reid, this immersive ballet introduces students to themes of survival, adaptation, and the beauty of wildlife in motion. Participants will learn dance vocabulary, choreography, and fun facts about the animals and their habitats.
Artist Background
Ballethnic Dance Company is Atlanta’s first and only African American professional ballet company—and the oldest of its kind in the South. Now celebrating 35 years, Ballethnic is a classically trained and culturally diverse ballet company that fuses traditional ballet with artistic influences from a variety of cultures.
Founded by Nena Gilreath, a North Carolina native and graduate of the UNC School of the Arts, and her husband Waverly Lucas, both former dancers with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Atlanta Ballet, the company has garnered national acclaim. Their work has been featured at prestigious venues such as the John F. Kennedy Center as part of Reframing the Narrative, where Ballethnic was spotlighted as one of only three Black professional ballet companies in the United States.
Ballethnic made its debut on the Coca-Cola stage at the Alliance Theatre with its signature ballet, The Leopard Tale. The company’s distinctive training approach earned an invitation to Canada’s National Ballet School’s Assemblée Internationale—an international, “Olympic-caliber” gathering of pre-professional dancers and artistic directors.
The co-founders have received numerous honors, including the Dance/USA Champion Award, The Governor’s Arts and Humanities Award and recognition by South Arts as a Southern Cultural Treasure for artistic innovation and community impact.
Of note, dancers are attired in costumes, and decorated pointe shoes, masks and makeup to create an aesthetic transformation. Additional items include decorating the space, transporting the vinyl Marley dance flooring with gaffers tape.
Ballethnic is able to successfully adapt the performances based on the schools needs.
Search Criteria
- Program Type: Performance
- Discipline: Dance
- Grade Level: Elementary, High, Middle
- Cultural Context: African, African-American, European, North Carolina
- Accepts bookings in Johnston County