Ballerina Kate Reyes to return Nov. 9 as lead dancer in ‘Orphan Train’

DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — When ballerina Kate Reyes takes the stage for the performance of Orphan Train at The Theater at City Tech on Nov. 9, presented by Brooklyn’s own Covenant Ballet Theatre (CBT), she will be a key element in telling the gripping story on which the ballet is based.

An original narrative ballet, Orphan Train was conceived and choreographed by CBT Artistic Director and Founder, Marla Hirokawa. The ballet presents the extraordinary story of Rev. Charles Brace, founder of the New York Children’s Aid Society and the Orphan Train movement, the first placing-out program in America for over 150,000 abandoned immigrant children in New York City from 1854 to 1929. The performance will feature CBT dance students ages 10-18 alongside professional dancers. The performance will also include a re-staging of Ms. Hirokawa’s Diamond Caper, a short work chronicling the theft of the legendary Hope diamond.

The narrative ballet tells a “moving and heartbreaking story with a nod to Agnes de Mille and Martha Graham,” states author Oscar Moore in a review of the 2012 NY Fringe Festival production. “Stark reality is wonderfully conveyed by this fine company of actor/dancers who with a look or a gesture augment the excellent choreography.” Orphan Train premiered in 1997 in Brooklyn, NY. It was restaged numerous times in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Athens, GA. In 2012, Orphan Train was the first ballet ever showcased at the New York International Fringe Festival. The production will be dedicated to the memory of Alice DePass, founder of Encore Dance Theatre in Athens, GA, and a longtime colleague and friend of Ms. Hirokawa and supporter of Orphan Train.

Kate Reyes’ lifetime dedication to dance is an accurate reflection of the qualities that make Covenant Ballet Theatre ‘one of Brooklyn’s best-kept secrets.’ Her return…