DESCRIPTION:
Ballet Music for the Classic American Board Game for all ages "Uncle Wiggily". Author Howard R. Garis wrote many Uncle Wiggily books describing various long-eared adventures; adventures full of invention and imagination. Animal characters were described in detail as to their appearance (strange mixtures of attributes). Their attire often included a symbolic prop to flesh out their personality and role within the story's context. Uncle Wiggily, the Rabbit Gentleman, had rheumatism and sported a red, white, & blue cane to help him along his way etc.

My vision for ballet is Bolshoi Classical in the spirit of Swan Lake - with extravagant costumes mixed with very traditional 'on point' vignettes; staged with sets that describe travel through various exotic places where mythic and colorful episodes occur. The work offered here is easily expanded into a larger work by retaining the 'Uncle Wiggily motif' as a transition element; similar to "Pictures at an Exhibition." i kept things to the 10 minute limit advanced by this venue.

This work was written for my 94 year old mother who played this game as a child. Uncle Wiggily left a remarkable and indelible mark on her that has never waned. She remembers every place on the board, still. i also played this game, in our family life, as a youngster on the same game board... that mom retained into her adulthood.

The game itself has different versions. The early game board was characterized by psychological elements which were a bit fearful looking. Meeting the Skeezicks and Pipsissewa were occasions where you lose your turn or had to return to a prior place - setting you back on your journey to Dr. Possum's cottage - square '151'.

Subsequent game board images do not have the gravity of place and poignant power of the original - omitting the very real life metaphor of fanciful apprehension that so impressed my mother; and me.