In Greek mythology, Terpsichore was one of the nine muses and she ruled over dance and the dramatic chorus. On Hilton Head Island, "Terpsichore" is a presentation by the Hilton Head Dance Theatre, which is usually performed in the summer. But local audiences will get an early treat this year as the theater presents "Terpsichore" at 7:30 p.m. March 30-31 at the Hilton Head Island High School Visual and Performing Arts Center.

Opening the program will be the wedding scene from Tchaikovsky's "Sleeping Beauty." Caitlyn Lankowski and Brooke Bishop will share the role of Princess Aurora, partnered by former Joffrey dancer and longtime guest artist Peter Kozak as the Prince. There will be a host of fairy tale characters on hand to celebrate the nuptials including Beauty and the Beast, Puss in Boots and the White Cat, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Prince Charming and Red Riding Hood and the Wolf.

"Talking Loud and Clear," the plotless ballet choreographed by dance theater artistic director Karena Brock-Carlyle, and first presented in 1994, will feature Caitlyn Lankowski, Brooke Bishop and Cady Roberts, with music by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

A pas de deux follows, featuring Columbia City Ballet principal dancer Mark Krieger and dance theater company member Kylie Wilder. Set to the haunting "Il Mio Cuore Va (My Heart Will Go On)," sung in Italian by Sarah Brightman, the original choreography is by dance theater artistic director John Carlyle.

Bob Fosse's "Rich Man's Frug," set to music by Cy Coleman from "Sweet Charity" will feature the entire company, as well as guests Journy Wilkes-Davis and Robert Michalski from Columbia City Ballet, Daniel Mayo from RUBBERBANDance Company and Hilton Head Dance Theatre alumnus Jamal Edwards. Staged by former Broadway dancer and Fosse dance captain Kathleen Watkins, the distinctive poses and hand gestures humorously convey the feigned boredom of the self-important rich and famous.

The contemporary classic "Graduation Ball" was the first piece selected for the program. First presented by the original Ballet Russe in 1940, "Graduation Ball" is a ballet in one act set to music by Johann Strauss. It is the story of a party at a girls' school in Vienna given for the recent graduates of a nearby military academy. The girls and the boys meet, amuse themselves with a series of divertissements and discover a secret romance.

The celebration continues until the headmistress of the school ends the fun. Brock-Carlyle, a former principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, performed this ballet many times during her tenure with ABT. In fact, the choreographer David Lichine was one of her teachers. The ballet is light-hearted and its appeal is timeless.