Two fairy tales, two great stories, what better way to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon with your children? The Tales of Beatrix Potter and Peter and the Wolf, promise to capture the hearts of everyone age 3 to 103! The New Jersey Civic Youth Ballet’s Children’s Matinee performance times are Sat., Sept. 19, at 2 p.m. and Sun., Sept. 20 at 2 p.m. at The Little Theater at  Centenary College in Hackettstown.

Based on the timeless stories and music of Beatrix Potter and Prokofiev, the theater transforms us into a world that is sometimes forgotten; those great works of art that survived the test of time, are often placed on a shelf somewhere in our lives.

When the curtain opens we are introduced to an unlikely group of friends; a boy named Peter, a Bird, a Duck, a Cat, a Wolf and a group of comical Hunters. As the story unfolds we learn that an instrument represents each of the characters. Peter and the Wolf was written in 1936 by Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev. “If the story has a moral, it seems to be this: don’t be afraid to challenge established beliefs or to take risks. It is Peter’s independence, shrewdness and courage that save the day; if he hadn’t disobeyed his grandfather by climbing over the wall, the wolf would never have been caught. Seen in this light, ‘Peter and the Wolf’ is a subtly subversive tract, encouraging children to rely on their wits.

The Tales of Beatrix Potter, with music by John Lanchbery, was originally performed by the Royal Ballet. This abridged performance begins with Peter Rabbit and his friends who find themselves in a bit of trouble with farmer McGregor. As the bunnies scatter, we are entertained by Jemima Puddle Duck and her encounter with a sly fox. A struggle for the duck’s basket of eggs occurs, but we are soon to see that the sly fox is no match for a mama duck! Jemima Puddle Duck is performed by Michelle Quiner and Vitaly Verterich as the fox. Quiner, a member of the New Jersey Civic Youth Ballet, has also performed at the Grand Ole Oprey with Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular and has danced the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in the New Jersey Civic Youth Ballet’s annual Nutcracker. Michelle, a featured dancer in Dance Spirit magazine, has received a Gold Medal in regionals for Youth America Grand Prix in Torrington, Ct., and was recently a finalist in the World Ballet Competition, Orlando, Fl. Vitaly Verterich was a principal dancer in “Riverdance on Broadway” at the Gershwin Theater. A frequent guest artist at the Bolshoi Theater, the Kirov Ballet, and other internationally and nationally acclaimed companies, Verterich has performed with the NJCYB for the past season.

Both of these performances have been made possible in part by a grant from the Warren County Cultural and Heritage Commission.

General admission is $10.00. For tickets call 908-850-0709.