The Springfield Youth Performance Group (SYPG), an organization spotlighting young talent from the Springfield area, is presenting a colorful, energetic production of the classical children’s ballet Sleeping Beauty on February 22, 2020, at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at Hoogland Center for the Arts.
The magic and mystery of this engaging classic children’s story will be brought to life with music by Tchaikovsky and dynamic, fresh staging by Caitlin Helton Scherer. Featuring more than 65 accomplished local children and youth, the beautiful storyline embraces that if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true.
“Sleeping Beauty is an ideal production to appeal to all ages,” said SYPG artistic director Caitlin Helton Scherer, the choreographer of this presentation. “Younger kids will love all of the colorful characters and costumes, while older children and adults can really appreciate the subtlety of the storyline and the artistry of the performers.”
This hour-long child-friendly production tells the story of Princess Aurora, who was cursed by an evil fairy to sleep for 100 years, only to be awakened by the kiss of a handsome prince. Following her awakening, Princess Aurora and Prince Desire are wed with many guests in attendance including beautiful fairies and numerous other fairytale characters.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Tickets may be purchased at the Hoogland Center for the Arts box office or are available in advance by calling 217-523-2787 or by ordering online at www.hcfta.org .
Children are also invited to join the special, free Princess Preshow Party in the main lobby of the Hoogland Center of the Arts. The party begins forty-five minutes before each performance. Children can participate in crafts and have a meet and greet with the show’s characters.

Springfield Youth Performance Group (SYPG) was founded in the summer of 2005 as a non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children through the performing arts. SYPG’s mission is to encourage and cultivate the artistically talented youth in our community by giving them the opportunity to perform thereby enhancing community awareness and appreciation of the performing arts. SYPG works toward this purpose by targeting excellence in stage performances, arts education, and youth-centered programming that is facilitated by professional artists.
The artistic director is Caitlin Helton Scherer and executive director is Taryn Grant. For more information, email sypg@comcast.net or call 217-553-4475.