The Anne of Green Gables story is no stranger to the public, as the popular novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery has been adapted into many books, movies, cartoons and TV series all over the world.
This June, Canada's Ballet Jörgen will showcase Anne of Green Gables the ballet, throughout the Maritimes.
Ballet dancer and performer Hannah Mae Cruddas from Dartmouth will play the lead role of Anne Shirley on the evenings of Wednesday, June 8 and Thursday, June 9 at the Dalhousie Arts Centre.
“I have always loved and been a fan (of Anne) since I was six years old. And so this time putting together this ballet, I was able to reread the stories, which didn't feel like work at all, it was amazing,” she said.
Cruddas said she has always been a fan of Anne Shirley since she was six years old. Photo contributed.
Cruddas has been dancing since she was three years old and joined her touring company Ballet Jorgen 11 years ago. Her multiple dance projects include The Nutcracker, Cinderella, Romeo and Juliet, Anastasia the Russian Princess, and more.
She was in the National Ballet School of Toronto before joining her current company which is also in Toronto but is currently touring places in Canada and the United States.
“We took (Anne of Green Gables) to Utah, Colorado, Idaho, and Kansas. So we've done lots of little places in the States, but mostly it's Canada, Prince Rupert in British Columbia, Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, the prairie provinces, and my favourite, the east coast.”
For this role, she worked to incorporate Anne Shirley’s vivid personality into dance by reading and pinpointing moments when Lucy Montgomery wrote about Shirley’s body language and movements in her novel.
Hannah Mae Cruddas is dressed in her character, Anne Shirley for the ballet performance Anne of Green Gables. Photo contributed.
“We all know that she's a redhead and has freckles and a lot of energy—a very exuberant young person. We don't often think about how her body might move. There were moments when Montgomery would write, she clasped her hands and looked up into the sky, and those kinds of physical notes are things that I was able to really take and hopefully have brought to the character.”
Cruddas began rehearsing for this role in 2019 and the show first premièred that September.
There are twenty dancers with Ballet Jörgen on tour, crew members who help set up and call the show, and, occasionally, her dance coach would make an appearance during performances.
Cruddas said she has always looked up to the character Anne Shirley and is most excited about introducing her to the audience through dance.
“I think Anne's tremendously courageous and joyful and strong. I looked up to her a lot as a young person and I have tried to emulate some of my personality from her, being a huge role model for me when I was young. I feel so lucky that we get to share her, her spirit, and her energy through dance. It's really fun.”
The performance was choreographed by Bengt Jörgen.
Cruddas said she is excited to portray the character of Anne Shirley through her dancing, and body movement. Photo contributed.
Listen to the full interview below: