Charleston City Ballet Does ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame’ at Piccolo Spoleto Festival

South Carolina's Charleston City Ballet is bringing its production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame to this year's Piccolo Spoleto Festival, a two-week event celebrating up-and-coming talent in the Southeast. The show is led by Charleston City's founder and director, Michael Wise.

The festival showing was spearheaded by a Kickstarter campaign specifically for the cause -- the troupe previously performed Hunchback as one of their first-ever productions. A very young company, the Kickstarter page details Wise's establishment of the ballet group in South Carolina:

"Created in 2013 by artistic director Michael Wise, the Charleston City Ballet is a 501(c)3 non-profit, professional ballet company designed to fill the void of quality, professional ballet in Charleston. In collaboration with the city's Office of Cultural Affairs, the Citadel School of Business, and community leaders, Michael Wise developed an innovative and straightforward business plan committed to transparency with donors, employed dancers, and the Charleston community."

Wise runs the Charleston City Ballet in conjuction with his wife, Olga Wise, who choreographs the company's productions. With the group's outing to the Spoleto Festival, the two hope to bring attention to their cache of talented dancers and Charleston's thriving arts scene.

Charleston City's Hunchback stars Mr. Wise as Archdeacon Claude Frollo and Mariana Zschoerper as Esmerelda. Zschoerper told The Post and Courier of the troupe's nexus:

"Some of us knew each other, but we never actually danced together or partnered together," Zschoerper said. "And that's one of the challenges. Because if you dance in the same company, or if you're constantly together, obviously you create connections dancing, and as people as well."

The Hunchback of Notre Dame started life as a gothic-romance novel by 19th century writer, Victor Hugo. It has been adapted for untold stage and screen versions, the most famous perhaps being the 1996 animated film from Walt Disney Pictures.

If you're in South Carolina, don't miss Charleston City Ballet's performance of Hunchback at Piccolo Spoleto this summer, and be sure to keep an eye out for the troupe's future productions.

TagsCharleston City Ballet, Michael Wise, Piccolo Spoleto Festival