Fill out this form to email this article to a friend
Entertainment
'Nutcracker' dances in for annual show
The beloved ballet story of a young girl, her toy nutcracker and a magical world of fairies brings something for all ages.
By BARBARA L. FREDRICKSEN
Published December 9, 2005
More than 100 professional and student dancers from across Florida will appear in the ninth annual edition of The Nutcracker ballet produced by Expressions, the Dance Company, on Dec. 16 and 17 at the Center for the Arts at River Ridge.
The ballet is the story of young Clara, who receives a wooden nutcracker shaped like a toy soldier at the family Christmas party. Moments later, her jealous brother Fritz breaks Clara's new toy, but their Great Uncle Drosselmeier is able to repair it.
Later that night, Clara creeps downstairs to get the nutcracker, only to be transported to a beautiful and fantastic dream world, where tiny mice do battle with the Rat King and a lovely ballerina named Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier dance for her, as do dancers from China, Arabia and Spain. There also are the huge Mother Ginger and her tiny Polichinelles, who live under her bright orange skirt, the Dewdrop Fairy and her dancing snowflakes, the six lovely dolls Uncle Drosselmeier gave her, and a line of ballerinas dancing to Waltz of the Flowers.
The ballet is filled with scores of dazzling costumes, bright scenery with snow and Tchaikovsky's familiar score.
Classically trained ballerina Deborah Buttner will return for the fifth year to dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Ms. Buttner trained at the London Studio Center and was once a student of Gillian Davis, who founded Expressions and is director of The Nutcracker. Ms. Davis owns the Center for Dance, Drama and Music in Port Richey.
Also returning to the ballet as Cavalier is Eriberto Jimerez, principal dancer for the Miami Hispanic Ballet.
The lead role of Clara will be danced by Danielle Grande, a veteran of professional and nonprofessional stage shows. Danielle is a professional model with regional and national credits and a member of the Screen Actors Guild.
If you go
WHAT: The Nutcracker, a ballet
WHERE: Center for the Arts at River Ridge, Town Center Road, New Port Richey
WHEN: 7 p.m. Dec. 16; 2 p.m. Dec. 17
TICKETS: $15 each. Call (727) 842-8175
[Last modified December 9, 2005, 01:19:17]
Share your thoughts on this story
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
News
Fifty years ago, they were screwed-up kids sent to the Florida School for Boys to be straightened out. But now they are screwed-up men, scarred by the whippings they endured. Read the story and see a video and portrait gallery.
Print
Email story
Comment
Email editor