Jenova Williams, dancing the part of the Snow Queen, and Joaxquin Ruiz, dancing the part of the Snow King, rehearse a piece for the upcoming performance of Ballet Theatre of Washington's 'The Nutcracker' as Sonovia Ruiz, dancing the part of Clara, looks on.
Jenova Williams, dancing the part of the Snow Queen, rehearses for Ballet Theatre of Washington's annual performance of 'The Nutcracker.'
Zoe Ruiz, dancing the part of a member of the Snow Corps, does a leap during rehearsals for Ballet Theatre of Washington's performance of 'The Nutcracker.'
Sonovia Ruiz, dancing the part of Clara, has a sword fight with Joshua Bishop, dancing the part of the part of the Rat King during a rehearsal for Ballet Theatre of Washington's 'The Nutcracker.'
Sonovia Ruiz, dancing the part of Clara, dances with her toy nutcracker in a rehearsal for the Ballet Theatre of Washington's performance of "The Nutcracker" which takes place Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 in Centralia.
Sonovia Ruiz, dancing the part of Clara in Ballet Theatre of Washington's annual performance of "The Nutcracker."
Azuriah Cannon, dancing the part of the toy soldier, does a leap during a rehearsal for Ballet Theatre of Washington's 'The Nutcracker.'
Benjamin Bishop, dancing the part of the Nutcracker Prince, dances with Zoe Ruiz, dancing the part of Clara, during a rehearsal for Ballet Theatre of Washington's performance of 'The Nutcracker.'
For dancers at Ballet Theatre of Washington, entering the storybook land of the Snow Queen and the Sugarplum Fairy is as magical for them as it is for audiences.
For many, it’s a dream come true to be able to perform in their own version of “The Nutcracker.”
“It was super emotional,” said Zoe Ruiz, dancing the part of Snow Court, Marzipan and Spanish, recalled of last year’s performance. “When we came out after the performance, all my friends and family were crying and I was crying. It’s very exciting and magical and very special.”
Ballet Theatre of Washington’s second annual performance of “The Nutcracker,” is playing Nov. 30-Dec. 2 at the Historic Liberty Theatre in downtown Centralia. Last year, the nonprofit ballet company decided after years of offering abbreviated versions of the Christmas ballet to take the leap and produce a full-length version.
Mick Gunter, who owns the nonprofit Centralia Ballet Academy and Ballet Theatre of Washington with his wife, Nancy, said last year’s inaugural performance of a full-length version of the holiday classic felt well received by the community. He noted that every performance was sold out and many audience members noted their intention to come next year.
“More importantly, the dancers loved it,” Mick Gunter said. “They were the first ones to make it happen. They got to make it their own and they really loved that the first Nutcracker was something they helped create.”
This year’s performance will feature more than 50 dancers, bringing to life the story of Clara’s fantastic journey with her Nutcracker Prince to the land of the Sugarplum Fairy. While Ballet Theatre of Washington draws heavily from the original Tchaikovsky ballet, there are elements that are unique to their version. For example, in this telling of the story, Clara gets to have a sword fight with the Rat King. And because of a large number of male dancers, Gunter said the decision was made to add two Rat Princes to dance along the part of the Rat King.
“We’re kind of pulling from the classic, traditional version of the Nutcracker,” Mick Gunter said. “We’re not going to add any music or bring too many characters in outside of that because we know people appreciate the traditional aspects of it … But at the same time, we look at the dancers we have to create the roles.”
Samantha Hawkins, a former Centralia Ballet Academy student and current Pacific Northwest Ballet Academy teacher, will dance the role of Clara’s mother alongside her husband, Tyrel as Clara’s father. Samantha Hawkins said she made the decision to come down from her current home in Seattle to be part of the production to show the Gunters her gratitude for the support they showed her as a student. She said she was thrilled last year to hear Ballet Theatre of Washington would be producing a version of “The Nutcracker.”
“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Samantha Hawkins said. “I think that the long-term goal of every ballet company and school is to do Nutcracker. It’s such a festive piece. It’s their big step of getting their foot in the door and really creating longevity.”
If You Go …
What: Ballet Theatre of Washington’s ‘The Nutcracker’
When: 7 p.m. Nov. 30 & Dec. 1; 2 p.m. Dec. 1; and 3 p.m. Dec. 2. Dec. 2 is an abridged, narrated version for younger audience members.
Where: Historic Liberty Theater, 413 N. Tower, Centralia
Cost: $20 adults, $12 children/seniors. Tickets can be purchased at www.balletwashington.org or by calling (360) 623-9010
