The 16th annual Nutcracker Ballet presented by Main Street Conservatory of Dance returns for more spectacular performances on Saturday, Dec. 8th at 2pm and 6pm and Sunday, Dec. 9th at 2pm.
80 performers from the Classical Ballet Program, the Marshfield Youth Ballet Company and the Jazz Dance Company star in this year’s production. Men from the community, including Marshfield High School students and “dance dads,” will perform as well.
“The Nutcracker is one of the most well-known, beloved classical ballets there is, and we believed it would be a great way to introduce our community to ballet,” said Heather Conrad, dance instructor. “We love that ballet tells a story through movement and we try to make the story really come alive so audience members of all ages are able to follow the story. It’s an imaginative storyline with dancing snowflakes, battling mice and toy soldiers, dolls that come alive and so much more!”
The Nutcracker is directed by Miss Betty Ebben with assistance from MSCD dance instructors Amanda Armbruster, Joelle Clark, Heather Conrad and Cassi Peterson, as well as local community theater director, Anne Warren.
Auditions are held in early September with rehearsals beginning that same week held primarily on Sundays. Many of the dancers are at the studio 3-6 days a week.
The first Nutcracker performance was a collaboration between Mr. Greg Rindfleisch and the Performing Arts Series at UW-Marshfield in 2003. “It was under Mr. Rindfleisch’s guidance that we were able to build this from a vision to a reality. After a few years, we outgrew that space and moved to the high school,” Conrad said.
Tickets to the performance, held at the Marshfield High School Auditorium are $10 each and may be purchased in advance from MSCD during office hours (Mon-Thursday 2:30-8:30pm) beginning Monday, Nov. 12th. Tickets will also be available at the door.
