Atlantic City Ballet to stage Dracula at Hard Rock casino resort

The Atlantic City Ballet will bring its production of Dracula to Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Thursday 29 October at 7pm, the company has announced. The performance will take place at Sound Waves, the resort's live entertainment venue on the Boardwalk.

It is the ballet's first appearance at the Hard Rock property, part of a growing trend among Atlantic City casinos to diversify beyond gaming floors with theatre, dance and family entertainment. Audiences aged five and older are invited, and guests who arrive in costume can take part in a contest with prizes awarded during the show, according to 95.7 BEN FM.

What the production involves

Dracula is described as one of the Atlantic City Ballet's signature original works, choreographed by the company's artistic director, Phyllis Papa. It is built around dramatic sets, costumes and a score that reinterprets Bram Stoker's gothic novel for the stage.

Ballet has a wild side, and Dracula really brings it out. We can't wait to bring that energy to Sound Waves and are deeply grateful to Hard Rock and especially President George Goldhoff for their extraordinary support. Their generosity helps us continue bringing ballet to Atlantic City, a tradition we began more than 40 years ago.Phyllis Papa, artistic director, Atlantic City Ballet

Why Hard Rock is hosting it

George Goldhoff, president of Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, said the partnership fits the resort's broader entertainment strategy. Casinos on the Boardwalk have increasingly used concerts, comedy and now dance performances to draw visitors who are not primarily there to gamble, widening their appeal to local families and tourists alike.

The resort's involvement also gives the long-running local ballet company access to a larger stage and audience than its usual venues, at a time when many regional arts organisations rely on corporate sponsorship to stage ambitious productions.

Tickets and venue details

Tickets are priced at $50, plus applicable fees, and are being sold through Ticketmaster. Sound Waves is located inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino at 1000 Boardwalk in Atlantic City.

About the Atlantic City Ballet

Founded in 1982 by Phyllis Papa, the Atlantic City Ballet features international dancers and performs a mix of classical and original works. The organisation also runs educational and community outreach programmes, supported in part by the Atlantic County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs.

The Dracula staging is the latest example of Atlantic City's casino resorts positioning themselves as entertainment destinations beyond slot machines and table games, a shift that has gathered pace across the city's Boardwalk properties in recent years.