Rebuilding 'Little Women Ballet'

Emma Andres returns to the Pasadena Playhouse with a reimagined production after the loss from the Eaton Fire: A Q&A session

Following its buzzing debut with praise from the Los Angeles Times, Little Women Ballet returns for an encore presentation at the Pasadena Playhouse on June 21 and 22, 2025. Choreographed and directed by UC Irvine Department of Dance alumna Emma Andres (B.F.A. ’20), the original full-length ballet brings Louisa May Alcott’s beloved novel to life, celebrating women’s stories through dance. Earlier this year, Andres lost her childhood home and nearly the entire production to the Eaton Fire. Thanks to the support of her cast, crew and community, she has rebuilt the production and will take the stage once again, joined by a cast of UC Irvine alumni and new dancers.

Q: Can you share how the fires impacted Little Women Ballet and what the process of rebuilding and re-staging the production has looked like for you and your team?

Emma Andres (EA): I lost my childhood home in Altadena during the devastating Eaton Fire in January 2025. Consequently, all of Little Women Ballet, except for a few costumes borrowed from Pasadena Civic Ballet, were in the garage. I was so devastated about losing my childhood home that I did not realize for a few days that everything for Little Women was gone. However, the first thing I did was message all my dancers and team members, telling them that despite this setback, I was not giving up on the project, and I was hoping they would stick by me. And they all did.

Image: Performance of Little Women Ballet. Photo courtesy of Emma Andres.

Thanks to many generous monetary donors, fabric donors, and seamstresses, we were able to rebuild Little Women Ballet to its former state in December 2024.

Q: As you return to the stage in this new landscape and venue, how does it feel to revisit and perform Little Women Ballet now?

EA: I think it feels exciting to revisit it so soon because of everything that has happened. If we didn’t rebuild and turn everything around, I feel like it would have felt wrong. Bringing it back means persevering despite unbelievable setbacks, and everyone involved is excited to bring it back, especially to Pasadena, our hometown, and to so many who lost everything as well.

Q: Does presenting the ballet during "the summer of the women’s lives" bring any new layers of meaning to the story or characters?

EA:  What is exciting is that we have a new cast of sisters that will be debuting next to our sister veterans, including me! I will be Meg in the 2 p.m. show on Sunday. These new dancers will bring fresh perspectives to each character. All the dancers are extremely talented and do a wonderful job of portraying each character, but what is really wonderful is that they each do it in their own unique and special way.

Q: Has the experience of adapting to these changes shaped your perspective on the work itself or your connection to the story?

EA: It has made the project that much more special to me. It is the thing the fire couldn’t take away. Losing my childhood home was one of the worst pains I have ever experienced, and I wouldn’t wish it upon anyone. I could never imagine that losing it would be a part of my life. But building back Little Women made me feel that the fire couldn’t defeat my dreams, friendships and future. It couldn’t take away everything. It couldn’t destroy our Little Women Ballet family’s future.

Image: Performance of Little Women Ballet. Photo courtesy of Emma Andres.

Q: What has the support from your team, audience or community meant to you throughout this period of rebuilding?

EA: It has meant the world to me that everyone was willing to stick by the project and see it come back. One of our donors and friends, Natalie Meyer, whom we met through Heritage Square Museum, has helped us sew many of our new costumes. Her graciousness has been amazing to me; she is so kind and has done so much for Little Women Ballet. We wouldn’t have been able to come back this fast without her.

Q: What do you hope audiences experience during the performance?

EA: I hope audiences can walk into the theater and feel peace and hope. The world is so upsetting right now, so many horrible things are happening. Little Women Ballet has made me believe in a better world — one where everyone helps each other, believes in each other’s dreams, lifts each other up and wants to bring good things into the world. I hope audiences feel that, too.

For ticket information for Little Women Ballet, visit littlewomenballet.com. To learn more about Andres and her production, visit her UC Irvine Alumni Spotlight here. 

Emma Andres is the artistic director, choreographer and performer in Little Women Ballet. She also serves as Department Analyst for the Department of Dance at UC Irvine’s Claire Trevor School of the Arts.