Studio West Dance presents their second annual production of the Nutcracker at Genesis Theatre in Ladner Dec. 16 and 17 with shows at 1 and 6 p.m.
This traditional holiday favourite comes complete with dazzling sets and costumes, a ferocious battle between long-time enemies the Rat Queen and the Nutcracker Prince, Clara’s magical journey through an enchanted snowy forest, and a trip to the Land of Sweets.
This year Studio West has included some wonderful guest performers, Pauline Koeplin as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Ethan Ponton as the Nutcracker Prince, Kara Wong as the audacious Rat Queen, and Alicia Hinjosa in the Arabian divertissement.
“These local artists provide a wonderful opportunity for all the students performing in the Nutcracker to learn and be inspired by dancers at pre-professional and professional levels,” said Studio West owner Jyla Robinson. “The Studio West dancers have been working hard since early September to bring you this production. From the smallest four-year-old mouse to our graduating seniors, these dancers have honed their skills and, in many cases, learned multiple roles. The dancers can see how they will be challenged year over year to advance through the ranks, learn new roles, and achieve new heights.”
Having the opportunity to be a part of a full-length ballet has been a wonderful growing experience for the students at Studio West Dance, she said.
“Not every school takes on such an ambitious project. Last year parents were so impressed by how much choreography their children learned, and so happy to hear how much fun they had both in rehearsal and performing on stage. They are all looking forward to the upcoming performance,” added Robinson.
The production is perfect for building a family holiday tradition and is suitable for audience members of all ages. As the performance runs for almost two hours with one intermission, we would suggest five-year-olds as being the youngest.
For tickets, please visit Studio West Dance Tickets (dancestudio-pro.com).
