GRAVESEND — Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella, “A Christmas Carol,” the story of elderly miser Ebenezer Scrooge, and his transformation into a kinder, gentler man, after being visited by the spirits of Christmas past, present and future, has been adapted for film, television and countless other mediums more so than any of his works.

Most recently, choreographer Marla Hirokawa, artistic director and founder of Covenant Ballet Theatre (CBT) of Brooklyn, will join the list of those that portrayed the classic — only her version will have a slightly different spin on the story.  

“It’s not your typical rendition of A Christmas Carol,” Hirokawa told the Brooklyn Eagle. “I wanted to put a different slant on something that people are very familiar with.”

According to Hirokawa, the new ballet, “Charles’ Carol,” puts the Christmas story in the context of Dickens’ own childhood poverty that shaped his empathy for the poor, paving the way for this renowned story to be penned. 

“It’s been over a year since I’ve been considering doing a take on A Christmas Carol,” she said. “I thought about it and said to myself, ‘I don’t think I could just do the story straight; that might be a little boring.’”

Hirokawa pointed out that much of Dickens’ work sheds light on the poor — as is the case with Oliver Twist, she noted.

“The ballet will begin and end on Charles Dickens, whose childhood experience as a young boy, impoverished and one of many child laborers, becomes the motivation for his writing of A Christmas Carol.”

Hirokawa added that, “Because time, as past, present and future, play an important role in my ballet, as in the book, I think the following quote from the text sums up what I hope to depict in the ballet through Scrooge and Dickens: ‘I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.’” 

CBT will premiere Charles’ Carol, at Brooklyn College’s Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.

“I’m really hoping it makes a splash so that next year it becomes a holiday favorite, and we can offer even more performance dates,” Hirokawa said. 

The production of Charles’ Carol is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the office of the governor and the New York State legislature, in addition to Apple Bank, Ridgewood Savings Bank and CBT’s board of directors.

Tickets start at $35 and are available through the Leonard & Claire Tow Center for the Performing Arts box office, via phone at (718) 951-4500 and on CBT’s website.

Founded by Hirokawa in 1987, CBT is built on the premise that a serious ballet education is needed to advance the art form, train youth and improve the lives of those within its embrace. 

In an accepting, yet rigorous environment, CBT fosters the love of dance through pre-professional training, educational programs in New York City schools and original ballet productions.