Aladdin and the Magic Carpet
Accompanied by the West Texas Symphony
March 28 & 29, 2026
at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center
Come see the story you know and love told in a whole new way.
With flying dancers, animated backdrops, live orchestra, and over 140 costumes
it’s sure to lift you out of your seat.
Did you know?
This ballet was a first in many ways, the most significant being it is the first full length ballet MFB created. Other exciting firsts include flying dancers and using digital projections as the backdrop. The result is a mesmerizing explosion of movement, light and color unlike anything MFB has performed before. All that paired with the drama of live orchestral accompaniment has made this, without a doubt, the largest collaborative project MFB has ever undertaken. And West Texans were the first to see it at the premiere performance in April 2022! We’re excited to bring it back.
Guest Artists
Marko Micov was born in Skopje, North Macedonia. He began his ballet education under the direction of Sonja Zdravkova-Dzeparovska, PhD, at the State Ballet School in Skopje. He was awarded the Special Prize in 2010 at the International Ballet Competition, Mia Corak Slavenski, and a full scholarship for the summer program of Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Vis, Croatia. In 2011, Micov danced as a guest artist with Croatia Ballet in a co-production with the Madrid Ballet on an international tour in South America with Pascal Touzeau’s The Nutcracker. In 2012, he was invited by the legendary Gelsey Kirkland to join her company, where his performances were noticed by major publications, including The New York Times, Huffington Post, Ballet Focus, and more.
In 2016, Micov joined Ballet San Antonio, where he was promoted to Soloist in 2018. He was featured in a variety of principal roles with the company, including in Frederik Franklin’s Tribute, Bruce Wells’ Beauty and the Beast, Yosvanis Cortellan’s Carmen, and Willy Shives’ The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, and The Sleeping Beauty. He performed as the Principal Male in Ballet San Antonio’s premiere of George Balanchine’s Rubies staged by Nilas Martin, and danced in Gerald Arpino’s Round of Angels. In 2018, he wrote the Macedonian message for International Dance Day organized by International Theatre Institute-UNESCO. In 2019, he received the national award, Menada, for Young Artist of the Year.
Since joining Milwaukee Ballet in 2019, he has performed as Karl and Fritz in The Nutcracker, a featured role in Garrett Glassman’s I Do, Don’t I?, and the title role in Michael Pink’s Peter Pan. He also was part of Michael Pink’s world premiere of Classical Symphony and Mauro de Candia’s Purple Fools.
In 2021, Micov received the United Macedonian Diaspora 40 under 40 Award.
Marize Fumero was born in Havana, Cuba and trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba. Upon graduation in 2009, she entered Ballet Nacional de Cuba, where her many roles included Queen of the Willis in Giselle, Swanhilda in Coppélia, Nikiya in La Bayadère, and Queen of the Dryads, and Kitri’s Friend in Don Quixote. She also danced the Pas de Trois from Swan Lake.
In 2012, Fumero joined the English National Ballet, where she danced as Aurora’s Friend and performed a Jewels Variation in Kenneth MacMillan’s The Sleeping Beauty. She was also one of the three Odalisques in Le Corsaire, staged by Anna-Marie Holmes. Additionally, she appeared in Jií Kylián’s Petite Mort and George Williamson’s Firebird, as well as Derek Deane’s Swan Lake (Pas de Quatre) and Romeo & Juliet at Royal Albert Hall.
Fumero joined Milwaukee Ballet in 2014 and was promoted to Leading Artist in 2015. She has been featured as Musetta in Michael Pink’s La Bohème, Claudia in Mirror Mirror, Odile in Swan Lake, and Esmeralda in Hunchback of Notre Dame. She also performed principal roles in Pink's Dracula, Giselle, Cinderella, The Nutcracker, and Dorian Gray. In addition, she danced the principal roles of the Queen of Hearts in Septime Webre’s ALICE (in wonderland) and the title character in Kathryn Posin’s Scheherazade.
Fumero is a principal guest artist with Hispanic Classical Ballet, where she has performed in Le Corsaire, Giselle, Don Quixote, and Romeo & Juliet. She has also appeared as a guest artist with Georgia Ballet, where she danced as Swanhilda in Coppélia and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker.
She frequently performs in ballet festivals around the world, including dancing variations from Swan Lake at Italy’s Ravello Festival, Carmen at the International Ballet Festival of Miami, and Le Corsaire and a pas de deux from Michael Pink’s La Bohème at the International Ballet Festival in Cuba. She was also invited to dance with the Salzburger Landestheater Ballet in Austria.
Fumero received a Miami Life Award nomination as Best Female Classical Dancer in 2017.
Aidan Carrasquel is a native San Antonian. He began his dance training at Ballet San Antonio under the direction of Maryra Worthen, the founder of Ballet San Antonio. Aidan was a National Training Scholarship recipient from American Ballet Theatre and is now a two-time Jacob’s Pillow Alumni, under the tutelage of Anna-Marie Holmes. He was the first student to premiere his original choreography on the Inside Out Stage at Jacob’s Pillow. Following his Inside Out stage debut, he received a scholarship to The Rock School for Dance Education under the direction of Bo and Stephanie Spassoff. While at The Rock, he competed at YAGP winning first place in multiple categories.After graduation from The Rock, Aidan received the Rory Schwartz Scholarship from the Washington School of Ballet under the direction of Kee Juan Han. He competed again in YAGP while training in DC and again won first place in multiple categories. At the Washington School of Ballet, Aidan performed in the world premiere of “ICONS”, at the Italian Embassy, choreographed by Mimmo Miccolis.
While dancing at Ballet San Antonio, Carrasquel has performed a wide range of roles. From his earliest appearance years ago as the mischievous brother Fritz in The Nutcracker through the Peasant Pas de Duet from Giselle, to the demanding Lead Couple of George Balanchine’s Rubies, to the romantic Prince Desire from Swan Lake and the swashbuckling Mercutio from Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet.
In his time with Ballet San Antonio, Michael Agudelo has performed such roles as Cavalier in The Nutcracker, Albrecht in Giselle, Basilio in Don Quixote, Siegfried in Swan Lake, The Prince in Cinderella, Bluebird in Sleeping Beauty, and especially enjoyed performing as Escamillo in Yosvani Cortellan’s Carmen and Mercutio in Edwaard Liang’s Romeo and Juliet.
Previously, Agudelo performed such roles as Cavalier in The “Manhattan” Nutcracker, Oberon in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Prince Charmant in The Sleeping Beauty with Minnesota Ballet.
The Duluth News Tribune wrote of Michael’s “sharply articulated performance,” “[Best are] those moments at the apex of his jumps when he freezes for a split second before descending back to earth.”
He began at Ballet Spartanburg under Carlos Agudelo and Lona Gomez and continued with Harid Conservatory and Varna Gold Medalist Stanislav Issaev at South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts. He went on to win second place in the Youth America Grand Prix Regionals and compete as a finalist in New York
In his spare time, he makes videos for his YouTube channel “Mikestarwalker” with over 100,000 subscribers.
Meet the Choreographer
Jill Eathorne Bahr
Recognized for her unique and personal choreographic approach, Jill Eathorne Bahr has been heralded as being sleek and explosive in her range of styles. Works of Bahr include her nihilistic “Firebird” and the "World War II Slant of Life in France" in Last Vestiges of a Torch Song Café in addition to her primal tale of a matriarch society turned upside down, “The Rite of Spring”. Her "Zorro" was a heralded landmark success.
Jill Eathorne Bahr is CEO of Coastal Ballet USA, a pre‐professional Ballet and Academic Institution that offers a unique custom fit education for ballet dancers beginning in the 5th grade. She is a Senior Faculty Member and Choreographer for the Charleston Ballet Center for Dance under Directors Don & Patricia Cantwell.
Her awards include two National Endowment, (NEA) Fellowships, four Monticello Fellowships, William Habich Choreography Award, two South Carolina Arts Fellowships, and two Astral Choreography Awards. Her choreography can be found in the repertoires of Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, Cary Ballet, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Ballet Eddy Toussaint, Eugene Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet Theatre, Nevada Dance Theatre, North Carolina Dance Theatre, Ballet Michigan, State of Alabama Ballet, Ballet Omaha, Joffrey II Dancers, Douglas Anderson School of Arts, the Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, Florida Ballet at Jacksonville, Heartland Youth Ballet, Project Ballet, New American Youth Ballet and the Fort Wayne Ballet. She taught summer intensive workshops throughout the US including Boston Ballet (8 summers) and Ballet Aspen (3 summers). Jill was selected to participate in the notable Carlisle Project, a program that provided time, resources, and mentorship to gifted, committed choreographers. In 2008, Bahr was the recipient of the Governor’s Award – “Elizabeth Verner Award”‐ the highest Arts Award. In South Carolina. Jill has served on the National Endowment for the Arts Dance Panel and served as an Adjudicator with College Dance Festivals. She is a robust devotee of Regional Dance America. Jill has adjudicated all five regions and served as a National Adjudicator twice for Regional Dance America.
The Story
On the streets of Agrabah, a poor young street urchin named Aladdin is struggling to steal some food, along with his pet monkey, Abu.
To meet her, Aladdin removes her head scarf. It’s Princess Jasmine! She has snuck out of the palace to have some adventures of her own before her father, The Sultan forces her to marry. Despite the improper introduction, Aladdin and Jasmine have an immediate connection. They continue to spend the day together, unaware the evil sorcerer and royal advisor, Jafar is watching from the sidelines.
Jasmine sees some hungry children. She gives them some apples she takes from a merchant’s cart, not realizing she would have to pay for them. A chase ensues!
Jafar and the merchant accuse Aladdin of the theft and exile him into the desert. While wandering, Aladdin and Abu meet Al Tifl the Camel.
Suddenly, Jafar appears! He tells Aladdin he’ll allow him back in Agrabah if he retrieves a magic lamp for him, hidden deep in the Cave of Wonders.
Aladdin and Abu venture deep into the Cave. It’s filled with gold, jewels, gems, and the Golden Gargoyles, protectors of the Lamp. A Magic Carpet leads Aladdin and Abu to the Lamp’s location.
Aladdin examines the lamp and is surprised to find it a little worn. When he attempts to polish it, a blue genie emerges!
Genie tells Aladdin that for waking him up, Aladdin is entitled to three wishes. After giving it some thought, Aladdin wishes to become a prince in hopes that he can be with Jasmine. And so Genie transforms Aladdin into Prince Ali, and they parade to the Sultan’s Palace.
Thank you to our program sponsors!
Where is the performance?
The Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center: 1310 Farm to Market 1788, Midland, TX 79707
Not from around here?
We personally recommend:
The TownePlace Suites Place Midland
5508 Deauville Boulevard Midland, Texas 79706