MUSCATINE, Iowa — Muscatine second-grader Rachel McCoy made her way across the Franklin Elementary School gym, crawling wolf-style across the floor Tuesday morning.

But try as she might to portray a hungry wolf, the big grin on her face told another story.

McCoy was one of approximately 50 Garfield-Franklin school second-graders who learned more about ballet Wednesday from choreographer Heidi Dunn and dancer Courtney Lyon of Ballet Quad-Cities.

Dunn and Lyon led the students in learning some of the techniques they use at their Rock Island-based studio for getting inside of the characters they portray on stage.

The students learned about characters from the traditional ballet, “Peter and the Wolf,” which Ballet Quad-Cities will perform for Muscatine audiences on Tuesday, April 7.

Dunn told the children that ballet dancers use movement and facial expressions to convey a story.

She also played the music the dancers will move to and pointed out the way different instruments help

define a character.

For example, Peter’s grandpa is underscored with the low, lumbering tones of the bassoon.

“Slow, deep music makes you think of someone or something that may move slower,” said Dunn. “On Tuesday, you’ll see grandfather — he has a big walking stick and he’s cranky because Peter left the gate open, and the wolf could get in to get his animals.”

Lyon will portray Peter, a character accompanied by the happy, lilting sounds of violins.

She showed the students a series of movements she will use to show Peter’s feelings of challenge and accomplishment in the story.

The students easily picked up on the pantomime and did the short routine.

The wolf sparked the students’ imaginations as  Dunn told the group about the way Peter would defend his grandfather’s duck from the menacing creature when he discovered it in the yard.

Then, she asked the children to move the way they thought a wolf would.

Many of the children, like McCoy, responded by crawling slowly on their hands and knees and making a scary face.

“I liked the way you got low and sneaky toward the ground, trying to sneak up on the duck in the pond,” said Dunn after watching the interpretations.

Joedy Cook, executive director of Ballet Quad-Cities, said the school program began Wednesday and will take place through Friday as representatives from her company visit all the area elementary schools.

“We do six main stage productions a year,” said Cook. “But these school programs are just as important.”

Cook said the Ballet Quad-Cities’ visit to Muscatine is made possible through a grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust.

The educational programming is geared toward introducing children to ballet before most of them develop a preconceived idea of the art.

The ballet company will perform for approximately 800 first- and second grade elementary students during the regular school day on Tuesday, April 7. Tickets will be sold for the evening performance, which is open to the public.

Details

The performance

What: Ballet Quad Cities presents “Peter and the Wolf & Other Dances.” The other dances include wedding pas de deux from “Don Quixote,” and the fun-in-the-sun, from “Making Waves.”

When: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 7.

Where: Central Middle School, Muscatine Center for the Performing Arts, 901 Cedar St.

Admission: $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for students 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased at the Muscatine HyVee food store, 2400 Second Ave., or, at the door.

Online

www.balletquadcities.com