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The Nutcracker: Abbreviated |
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Written by Dan England
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Friday, 16 November 2007 |
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 Delaney Schoolmeester loved the Nutcracker so much, she wanted to be in it again this year.
The Dance Theater of Loveland gave her a strong suggestion for her second year: If she wanted to continue to do the famous holiday dance production, she should take a couple classes to improve.
And so Schoolmeester, 12, of Johnstown, studied hard and practiced. The practice paid off—she’s in this year’s show as well.
“I loved dancing, and I’ve heard the ‘Nutcracker’ was very popular,” she said, “and I thought it was beautiful when I saw it. I wanted to be in it. So when they told me to sign up, I did. It gave me a goal.”
The Dance Theater takes all who audition for the production, which will play at the Rialto Theater in Loveland on Nov. 23-25. Dancers like Schoolmeester make up the heart of why two dance theaters, the one in Loveland and the Colorado Dance Theater in Greeley, can put on the Christmas classic every year.
“That’s always our aim,” said Wanda Marie Tierney, artistic director for the Dance Theater of Loveland. “We want everyone to improve if they’re going to come back to do this with us next year.”
The dance theater’s first production was in 2004 and featured dancers 8 and older from most schools in northern Colorado.
This year the production’s setting is in Vail, and the abbreviated version runs an hour. The production features highlights from the “Nutcracker” rather than the whole show, although all of the production’s famous dances are performed.
The Colorado Dance Theater, a nonprofit organization formed to spread appreciation of dance, runs a full two-hour production in December that features dozens of kids under age 12 (anyone who auditions gets a spot) as well as parents with a background in dance and experienced dancers from the University of Northern Colorado. Only the guest artists, a few key dancers and the choreographer get a stipend, said Joshi Solomon, co-producer of this year’s show and president of the board of directors. This is the 12th year the company is putting on “The Nutcracker.”
“It’s so family-oriented,” Solomon said. “It’s one of the few ballets where you can incorporate a lot of different ages and levels of ability. It’s also just nice for the holiday season.”
Both productions require an enormous amount of dedication on the part of the dancers. Many give up their weekends since the early part of September, and the productions themselves usually run for a week or at least three days.
It usually takes more than two months to put everything together for the Dance Theater of Loveland.
“We hope they’ll come along further next year,” Tierney said, “and maybe they’ll be faster next year.”
The rehearsals for the Colorado Dance Theater feature consistent times every weekend, so the kids can plan their Saturdays around them. But around crunch time, which will come shortly, even the 5-year-olds have to spend hours getting ready.
“It gets kind of rough of them,” Solomon said. “But they get to stay up late, wear costumes and make up and dance. They love it.”
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TWO VERSIONS OF 'THE NUTCRACKER'
• Dance Theater
of Loveland’s performance will run from Nov. 23-25. The show will be 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The production will take place at Loveland’s historic Rialto Theater, 228 E. 4th Street, Loveland.
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children and seniors, now on sale online, by phone at 962.2120 or in person at the box office. Or go to www.ci.loveland.co.us/rialto/rialto.htm.
• The Colorado Dance Theater will perform “The Nutcracker” from Dec. 7-9 at the Union Colony Civic Center, 701 10th Ave., Greeley.
The shows start at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $19.50 for adults, $17.50 for seniors and $10.50 for children and students. Call 356.5000 for tickets or stop by the UCCC box office. | Only registered users can write comments.
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