Among the many hay rides and haunted houses during the Halloween season, BalletMet offers a terrifying story of passion, power and seduction without a wait in line.

BalletMet’s fourth annual production of “Dracula,” based on the novel by Bram Stoker, will run tomorrow through Sunday, and festive ballet-lovers are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes for Thursday’s performance.

” ‘Dracula’ is becoming a Halloween tradition,” said Gerard Charles, artistic director for BalletMet.

He said people seem to be drawn to the title and the subjects of “Dracula,” especially during this time of the year.

“I try to make it scary. Scary in a good way,” said Jimmy Orrante, who plays the title character in “Dracula.”

In addition to fangs and blood, “Dracula” has many qualities that are not usually seen in classical ballet, Charles said.

It is basically a classical ballet, but it has many characterizations and stylized movements that give it a more contemporary feel, he said.

In most ballets the lead character is a female, he said.

“The main character is male, which is not often seen in classical ballet,” Charles said.

But the audience seems to respond well to the male as the center, he said.

“It is interesting to see the challenges it presents to a male dancer to be Dracula,” Charles said.

Orrante said he enjoys the originality of the role.

“I normally don’t get to play this evil man. I usually play the handsome prince,” he said. “In this story I get to bite.”

He also said the character is challenging to portray because there are two parts – human and animal.

“I enjoy being the more animalistic part of the character,” Orrante said. “The audience reacts more to the evil side.”

Charles said “Dracula” tends to attract more college students than most productions.

It is very accessible and a good introductory piece to dance. The story line is very clear and well made, he said.

“For a student that isn’t experienced with dance, it is a great production to see,” Charles said.

“Dracula” is not new to the company, and it is an important part of BalletMet’s 25th anniversary season, Charles said.

” ‘Dracula’ is a very good symbol to where our company has grown to,” Charles said.

The production is a milestone for the company because it was the first production designed for the Capitol Theatre.

Dan Gray, an associate professor of scenic design and resident scenic designer at Ohio State, designed “Dracula’s” set for the Capitol Theatre.

“I had seen a lot of other versions of ‘Dracula’, so one of the challenges was to create something unique to this production,” Gray said.

He said he used suggestive pieces to portray a variety of places, such as London, Transylvania and Dracula’s lair.

“I tried to use images that are symbolic and suggestive to some of the themes in ‘Dracula,’ ” Gray said.

He said he studied many English and gothic paintings for ideas.

“I wanted to make the set attractive yet frightening, much like the character of Dracula,” he said.

“There is a certain sensuality about the pieces that we’ve chosen,” Gray said.

Charles said “Dracula” is a popular piece because everyone knows of Dracula, but no one really knows the story about him.

So, if one is in the mood for a little scare and does not have any plans during the Halloween season, go see “Dracula.” The name in itself is enough to send chills up anyone’s spine.

Tickets are $25-$40 and are available at the BalletMet box office, the Ohio Theatre box office or any Ticketmaster location. Wednesday and Thursday’s performances are at 7:30 p.m. Please call the BalletMet box office at 229-4848 for further dates and times of performances.