'Snow White' ballet, with Gaultier-designed costumes, hits L.A.

Those who want to avoid the busy mutliplexes through the opening weekend of "The Hunger Games" might want to consider heading to the ballet instead -- especially if they happen to be fans of both high fashion and avant-garde dance.

That's because Ballet Preljocaj's production of "Snow White" -- with costumes designed by Jean Paul Gaultier -- hits town for three performances starting Friday evening. (In case you missed it, I wrote a piece about the ballet -- and the costumes -- that ran in Sunday's Calendar section.)

Although the ballet itself is not new -- it premiered in France in September 2008 and has toured Europe and Asia extensively -- it hadn't been performed in the U.S. until last weekend's March 17 stateside debut at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis.

Ballet Preljocaj's "Snow White," 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown L.A. Tickets: $28 to $110. Information: (213) 972-0711 or www.musiccenter.org.

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-- Adam Tschorn

Photo: A scene from Ballet Preljocaj's "Snow White" ("Blanche Neige"), which will be in town for three performances beginning March 23, 2012. Credit: Jean-Claude Carbonne