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‘The Nutcracker’ springs to life

by Joshua Maloni
December 10, 2005


Grand Island dancers.

Picture it.

The auditorium is bustling with excitement. The room is adorned in holiday décor. The smell of hot chocolate is in the air and families are getting cozy in their blue chairs. It’s a few days before Christmas, and children have visions of lollipops and Xboxs dancing in their heads as they curiously scan the room.

   

“The Nutcracker,” based on a tale by Ernest Hoffman, and originally choreographed by Ivanov to the music of Tchaikovsky, revolves around Clara, portrayed this year by 14-year-old Lauren Beilman of Lewiston, and 10-year-old Ali Gonyea of the Town of Niagara.

At a Christmas Eve gathering, Clara’s uncle Drosselmier delivers a magical nutcracker toy to the captivated youth. As Christmas Eve becomes Christmas, unusual happenings occur, most notably the appearance of the evil Mouse King. The nutcracker springs to life, defeats the repulsive rodent, transforms into a prince and whisks Clara away to a land of fantasy.

All of a sudden, the lights dim. Little Tommy and sweet Suzie, their attention fixed on the stage, tug at their mom’s arms. The music begins, the familiar dund dun na na na na na na na na, dund dun na na na na na na na na of The March; the curtains open, the dancers take position and “The Nutcracker” begins.

In a word, it’s magical.

So say the faces of countless children who have seen and enjoyed the Greater Niagara Ballet Company’s rendition of Ernest Hoffman’s tale, the story of Clara, a precocious young girl who, with the aid of the Nutcracker, does battle with the Mouse King before being transported to the Land of Snow.

Lewiston/Youngstown dancers.

The production, under the direction of famed instructor Beverly Feder, a fellow of the London Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance, is a holiday tradition in Western New York, and a true Christmas adventure, as parents, children and (of course) Clara are treated to performances by the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Snow Queen and dancers from around the world.

“I love it,” says Rachael Fraser, who portrays the aforementioned Fairy and Queen alternating with fellow Grand Island resident Mary Schnepf. “I love being a part of it. When you think of Christmas, you think of “The Nutcracker.”

Seeing families entertained and children themselves whisked away in fantasy, “It makes it worthwhile,” Schnepf says.

Adds Clara, Lewiston’s Lauren Beilman, “It makes you feel really good.”

The Greater Niagara Ballet Company’s 28th annual production of “The Nutcracker” is on stage at the Niagara Falls High School Performing Arts Center, 4455 Porter Road, and the Kingston Education Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Shows take place at NFHS on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Shows in Kingston will be held on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 3 at 2 p.m. For more information, or for tickets, call 1-(877) 236-8055 or visit www.niagaraballet.org.


Niagara Falls dancers.