Giving Huge Props

Published April 24, 2026

Giving Huge Props

One of the great attributes of ballet, and a reason I believe it is growing in popularity, is the art form appeals to more than one of the senses. A ballet stimulates both the sense of hearing and sight. When the Reno Phil performs at an A.V.A. Ballet Theatre classical performance, the audience can enjoy a live orchestra while watching the talented dancers gracefully move across the stage.

The props used in a ballet production are also an integral part of any production. In The Nutcracker, the growing Christmas tree starts as an eight-foot-tall tree and becomes 20 feet tall as the music from the orchestra builds to a crescendo. The combination of the growing prop and the music lets the audience know that something magical is happening.

Getting the right stage props can be very expensive. The pirate ship in A.V.A. Ballet Theatre’s production of Peter Pan cost almost $15,000 to rent and assemble. Fortunately for the ballet company, there are several talented men in Reno who give their time and energy to build beautiful props and sets.

For Alice and Wonderland the artistic director, Alexander Van Alstyne, wanted a rabbit hole that would whisk Alice to Wonderland. Bruce Lundstrom constructed a giant rock with a slide in the middle. In the show, a curious Alice falls into the rabbit hole and slides out of the other side while the backdrops are changed. It was a clever way of making it appear as if Alice had fallen into a wondrous new world.

In Peter Pan Van Alstyne desired an 18-foot moving crocodile. “That was a tricky one to build,” Lundstrom said. “There were so many moving parts.” The steel framed croc was covered with chicken wire and had to have room for a person inside. “Not only did I build the crocodile, but I was originally the person who was inside and walked it onto the stage during the shows.”

John White, a former stage technician at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts created numerous props for A.V.A. Ballet Theatre over the years. For Sleeping Beauty he built the baby carriage and bassinet for Princess Aurora and the boat used by the Lilac Fairy and Prince Desire to cross the foggy lake. In The Little Mermaid, White designed and built undersea rocks, the trident for the MerKing, and the ship’s bow that the Prince was swept off during the storm. All of these props have remarkable detail.

White said he enjoyed working with Van Alstyne on the ballets. “Peter Pan was one of my favorite shows to work,” he said in a Facebook post. “I was proud to be a part of that amazing production. Its production values were equal to those of multi-million dollar touring Broadway shows, but done locally with only a small percentage of those huge budgets. Our community should be proud that there are companies like A.V.A. Ballet Theatre putting out performing art productions of that caliber here in Reno.”

A.V.A. Ballet Theatre stage manager, Eric Skye, has also created numerous props for various shows. When it comes to building props, the most unusual requests made by Van Alstyne are for his annual rock ballet Vortex at the beautiful Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch. The shows are held every July as part of Artown and have included a spinning bed, shark cage, a rolling pyramid, and a giant roulette wheel. The spinning bed and shark cage were created by Tony Harrah. The bed had an electric motor under the mattress, and the speed and direction of the spinning bed was remotely controlled.

“When Alex asked me to build a giant roulette wheel I just shook my head,” said Lundstrom who also built the pyramid. “After working with A.V.A. Ballet for over fifteen years, I shouldn’t be surprised by his requests.” Lundstrom has since retired from his prop building hobby, but his handiwork will be seen by thousands for years to come.

“I appreciate all the work that Bruce, Tony, John and Eric have done,” said Van Alstyne. “Over the years, their contributions to my productions have been invaluable.”

As with the wardrobe for a ballet, a new production that has never been done before requires new props. Next spring, A.V.A. Ballet Theatre will be performing Beauty and the Beast at the Pioneer Center with the Reno Phil. I wonder if Eric Skye will be asked to build for this enchanted production.

Steve Trounday is a board member at A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, the resident ballet company of the Pioneer Center. Their next production is Vortex, the Ballet That Rocks July 17 and 18 at the Robert Z. Hawkins Amphitheater at Bartley Ranch.