The Andalusia Ballet is one of only three schools invited to dance in the inaugural Alabama Festival of Ballet (AFB) in Montgomery this weekend.

Andalusia Ballet founder and artistic director Meryane Martin Murphy said the event is being organized by James R. Atkinson , Jr., who heads the dance program at Alabama State University in Montgomery.

“They invited the professional companies in the state, the college programs at the University of Alabama, Troy and Alabama State, and we were one of three schools that were invited,” Murphy said. “I was rally thrilled to be invited.”

The participating companies and schools will perform at 6:30 Saturday night in the Troy University Davis Theater. Tickets are $15 for adults, and $9 for student and senior admission.

“We’re taking a piece we have done for a couple of years, called ‘Snowing,’ which was choreographed by Glen Jenkins, who teaches for us.”

Andalusia Ballet’s Senior Company will perform the piece. Those dancers include Gabby Godwin, Lindsey Stephens, Sydney Ward, Emily Ward, Lucy Dantz, Paige Landreneau, Sara Beth Wriston, Emma Henley, Sarah Forn, Hannah Jo Wriston, Emily Anne Morgan, Sophia Jones, and Cole Varner.

In addition, Landreneau will dance with Andres Angulo a pas de deux from “Le Corsaire.” Angulo who is now dancing with Alabama Ballet

“We are thrilled to have her represent us,” Murphy said. “This is a well-known pas de deux.”

The event is not competitive, just a celebration of companies and groups in the state that do ballet, she said. After the participating ballets perform.

The program and project was made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment of the Arts.