Dancers Marisa Hall, left, and Tanner Calder, right, perform during dress rehearsals for 'The Nutcracker Ballet' in 2018 at the Southwest Washington Dance Center in Chehalis.
The 24th annual production of the timeless classic, “The Nutcracker” by the Southwest Washington Dance Center will help ring in the holiday spirit with a series of ballet performances from Dec. 13 through Dec. 15 at Centralia College’s Corbet Theatre.
This year’s showcase features a cast of more than 120 dancers from the dance center, along with children and adults from Lewis and South Thurston counties.
The 2019 production, according to the dance center’s Administrative Director Marcia Greenfield, includes a number of tweaks, including new costumes and new choreography for one part of the show.
When asked why “The Nutcracker” has emerged as a popular holiday staple in Lewis County, Greenfield explained that the show’s secret formula lies in its ability to engage people of all ages.
“It’s an old story and it’s told differently by every company that does it. I think our show is very unique. It’s fun and full of color and little kids can sit and be dazzled by all the stuff they see on stage,” stated Greenfield. “It’s just a really, really enjoyable time and it’s totally family oriented, so you can bring little children, grandma and grandpa.”
“The Nutcracker” was originally written as a two-act ballet in 1892, and centers around a girl who befriends a nutcracker who comes to life on Christmas Eve to wage a battle against the evil Mouse King.
Among the local performers contributing in the 2019 rendition of “The Nutcracker” will be Scott Middleton as Heir Drosselmeier; Mark Young, Sandra Young, Dan Kay and Tabitha Dennison sharing the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Staulbaum: Dan Kay as Mother Ginger; Matt March as the the Mouse King, along with Ava Meller and Olivia Yalovskiy who’ll both be portraying Clara.
Dancing principal roles will be handled by Brenna Witchey, Isabel Langhaim, Delanie Hill, Angela March, Ava Chrisman, Gracie Ericson, Gideon Newkirk, Tanner Calder, Savanna Bolivar, Julia King, Amanda Brossard and David March.
The prep work for the holiday spectacular kicks off in August, said Greenfield, as advanced company-level dancers undergo an “intensive” week of training followed by two full weeks of rehearsals before the start of the school year. From there, she continued, the participants meet every Saturday for the following three months.
Showtimes for this year’s production are 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14 and at 1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 15. Tickets are available at swwdance.org or by stopping by or calling the dance center at 360-748-4789. After Dec. 8, tickets will only be available online or at the Corbet Theatre box office.
