Community Dance Program showcases ‘The Nutcracker’

    On Dec. 7 through 9, the GCSU Community Dance Program will be presenting the eleventh annual presentation of “The Nutcracker.” A world-renowned ballet performed from Australia to London, “The Nutcracker” was first performed in 1892 to music composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The GCSU Community Dance Program performs this famous ballet reflecting the holiday season in Russell Auditorium with about 200 dancers ranging in age from three to adult.
    With dream fairies, baby dolls, soldiers, mice, candy canes, Little Bo Peep, ladies in waiting, a snow queen, a sugar plum fairy and waltzing flowers, where else would you want to be? Training and preparing since August, the dancers have just about perfected the show.
    “It’s a year long process preparing for me,” says Amelia Pelton, GCSU dance director who choreographs most of the show pieces.
    “I begin preparing early in the year, yet practice does not begin till fall semester.”
    For most of the productions of “The Nutcracker” done in the past, the GCSU dance program paid professional dancers to come star in the show. For the first time this year Pelton has decided not to bring in any guest artists. It will be all students.
    “I think it’s important to let our dancers dance,” says Pelton. “For the first time we aren’t having guest artists. We spent almost 6,000 dollars last year on guest artists, and we decided it was better to spend that money elsewhere.”
    This year the money went to buy the dancers a new floor to layout at Russell Auditorium. This type of flooring allows better vaulting for the certain moves and prevents shin splits.
    The new flooring will be especially beneficial during the “Russian scene” when the GCSU cheerleaders perform. The Bobcat cheerleaders have won numerous conference competitions and three national championships. Attempting stunts and lifts, they will be highly entertaining.
    One of the largest roles in “The Nutcracker” is the Sugar Plum Fairy. This year Jessica Gore, a senior at GCSU, will be dancing this primary role. The Sugar Plum Fairy solo will be the original choreography by Lev Ivanov in 1892.
    However, even though Gore has the primary role there are still 24 other solos belonging to the students dancing in the Ballet VI class. Pelton exclaims how blessed the program is with “tremendously talented dancers.”
    A holiday classic, “The Nutcracker” is fun for the whole family.
    “The story is really good for little kids especially. They like to see all the pretty costumes and decorations. The community really supports the show,” said Stacy Hillard, a senior performing “The Nutcracker” for the fourth time with GCSU.
    Overall “The Nutcracker” will be a treat away from studying for finals and preparing for winter break. Beautifully decorated and with magnificent scores by Tchaikovsky, the show will excite all who come out to see it.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Nov 30 2007. Filed under Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry