The dancing throughout “Ballerina Swan” is charming — including, at a recent Saturday matinee, the movements of the young children in attendance. Most ballet audiences suffer through the antics of restless youngsters; here it was encouraged, the elegant performer Elizabeth Washington leading children through amusingly vague approximations of basic ballet steps.

Smartly constructed puppets and children’s ballet foibles can be adult pleasures, too. And if one measure of shows for young audiences is how much adults will suffer, well, “Ballerina Swan” is a mostly painless 50 minutes

The play truly captures the heart & ‘sole’ of New York City ballet dancing, and recreated it in such a way that it appeals to children. As a parent, I enjoyed the positive message of believing in yourself and pursuing your dreams, no matter the obstacle.

While the recommended ages are three to eight, my two-year-old daughter was in awe of the dancing, and her eyes were glued to the stage the entire time.

The underlying message of the story really resonates with children and their parents—despite the obstacles you many encounter in life, and no matter what someone tells you, realize your dreams, pursue your passion and keep on practicing. Most of all, don’t give up!

Ballerina Swan is a great way to introduce your kids to ballet. My one-year-old sat mesmerized as soon as Sophie got on the stage. The adorable swan was silly, endearing and very human-like in her behavior.

Everyone sat and watched quietly and intently. It must have been the beautiful choreography and ballet dancing.

Ballerina Swan is a perfect tale for children who love ballet… and for those who need the reminder that nothing, not even raw talent, will ever take the place of hard work.

It is the story of a swan who consciously decides to become a ballerina, and then does everything in her power to achieve her goal.

The central message is that anyone could be a dancer… if they worked hard enough.

We took our three and a half year old granddaughter. This was her first experience with live theater and it was fantastic! We had purchased the book prior to our attending the show so she would be familiar with the story. The performers were wonderful, engaging and the interaction with the children added to their interest and attention. I look forward to future performances.

It was a wonderful experience for my 6-year-old daughter.  I was so pleased for her to have the experience of classical music and ballet dance in such an accessible, interactive, and engaging way.

I brought my three year old daughter to see Ballerina Swan this past December.  She was absolutely mesmerized by the performance, not even noticing when I waved a cookie and juice box in front of her eyes in the middle of the show.  Since then, she has not stopped pirouetting across our apartment and has abandoned all intentions of becoming a fireman for her new pursuit of ballet. I also enjoyed the performance tremendously.  The dancers were beautiful and engaging, the theater intimate, and the story line charming.  It was truly magical to see how dance, theater, and audience participation were woven together.  Great work!  I can’t wait to see your next show.

NY Family’s “10 Great Events for December” includes our dance show Ballerina Swan! Bring your friends and family to enjoy this inspiring story of Sophie, a Central Park swan who dreams of becoming a dancer!

The Mommy Poppins Go List boils down THE must-see events for kids of all ages to enjoy throughout the month! And this month New York City Children’s Theater’s Ballerina Swan has been featured on the December GoList!

We’re very grateful to have Ballerina Swan selected among other fantastic shows and activities to bring families together for the holidays!

Thank you to everyone at Mommy Poppins!