Students take part in annual dance performance (photo)
LEAP — During the final dress rehearsal before the performances, sophomore Rachael Lenker does a Firebird as part of her role as the sugar plum fairy in The Nutcracker. “The role of the sugar plum fairy was a great honor. I was very excited and grateful for the opportunity,” Lenker said. “The hardest part about preparing for the show wasn’t only remembering the choreography, but performing with proper technique and entertaining stage presence. I love every part of the show, but if I had to pick a favorite part, it would be the ending scene when everyone comes out to bow. That moment is so magical and is what I look forward to every show.”
Sugar plums, mice and the music styling of Tchaikovsky are just a few of the things seen and heard at L.A. Dance Theatre’s annual rendition of The Nutcracker. Students showcased their dancing abilities in performances December 2 and December 3 at 7:00 p.m. and December 4 at 2:00 p.m. Each show was held at the D.H.H. Lengel Auditorium.
“I think the best part of The Nutcracker this year was seeing so many high schoolers that I was familiar with. It was a great way for them to showcase their dancing,” junior Sadie Michel said. “I could tell that each and every dancer was having a lot of fun, and it made my experience really great. I highly recommend the show to anyone who hasn’t seen it before.”
The story of The Nutcracker follows Clara, played by Emma Nabholz, a seventh grader at D.H.H. Lengel Middle School. Clara receives a nutcracker from a toymaker, Drosselmeyer, played by senior Logan Spevak. With the nutcracker, Clara dreams of a giant battle between the now-living Nutcracker and mice. She is then transported to the Land of Sweets, and then wakes up to discover that it was all just a dream.
Along with Nabholz, various students from the high school joined the lead on the stage. Sophomore Emma Bertsch and junior Kristen Campion played roles ranging from snowflakes to woodland fairies. Sophomore Rachael Lenker played Clara’s mom and one of the most well-known parts in the performance, the sugar plum fairy. The older students get more advanced roles to portray. Junior Sophie Murray is the prime example of this; she played the Spanish “Hot Chocolate” dancer in the Land of Sweets.
“I think Spanish was the perfect part for me. Although it was a ballet piece, it was more fast-paced than most of the other roles, which is more my style,” Murray said. “Throughout my 10 years in The Nutcracker, I have been able to perform many of the parts, but a dream of mine has been performing as the Snow Queen, so fingers crossed for next year.”
Even students who are not considered “dancers” took part in the show. Juniors Kyle Eckley, Luke Joyce and Stephen Messina and senior Colin Williams each danced with an L.A. dancer from PAHS in the opening scene of the show. They were then used as stage crew members for the Arabian genie scene.
“I had a lot of fun dancing [in The Nutcracker.] I hope to do it again next year,” Eckley said. “I loved meeting new people, and everyone in the show was so nice. Rachael and I had a lot of fun dancing with each other, and she made the experience so much better.”