Visions of sugar plums abound as CVCB readies ‘Nutcracker’ tradition
November 15th, 2011 Posted in Arts and LifeBy Tara Alvey
LOGAN—The silk-covered pointe shoes of the dancers moved gracefully across the stage. The girls had been practicing these dance steps for hours, but even now they weren’t done. They went back into the folds of the curtain offstage and lined up to try the sequence again.
They had a lot of work to do.
For the past 29 years, the Cache Valley Civic Ballet has been performing “The Nutcracker” as to launch the Christmas holidays—and this year will be no different.
“‘The Nutcracker’ is a tradition for Thanksgiving weekend in Cache Valley,” said Sally Stocker, president of the Cache Valley Civic Ballet. “We love being able to kick off the holiday season for Cache Valley residents.”
CVCB Artistic Director Sandra Emile expects a big crowd this year, as usual. “Cache Valley gives us great support, and we perform for about 4,000 people at the Ellen Eccles Theatre every year,” she said.
The ballet, based on E.T. Hoffman’s original story, “The Nutcracker,” tells the story of a young girl named Clara who receives an enchanted nutcracker for a Christmas present. That night when she falls asleep, the nutcracker comes to life and introduces Clara to a world of magical toys and soldiers, guides her through an enchanted forest and even introduces her to the queen of the forest, the Sugar Plum Fairy.
The CVCB holds auditions for the ballet every year, open to all community member. Because of this, many people get the chance to be involved. Often, whole families participate in the ballet.
“Our Nutcracker is magical because we transform our local residents into the stars you see on stage telling this delightful and time-honored traditional ballet,” Emile said.
“Putting on ‘The Nutcracker,’ is a labor of love for all of us,” Stocker said, noting the many hours the directors, company and local cast members put into the performance. “We love what we do and we do it willingly and with joy.”
The Cache Valley Civic Ballet is a resident performance group at the Ellen Eccles Theatre and has called the theater home since its renovation in 1993. This year, the company is scheduled to perform “The Nutcracker,” Nov. 25, 26 and 28 at 7:30 p.m., plus a matinee performance on Nov. 26 at 1:30 p.m. Tickets range from $8 to $18 and can be purchased online or at the Ellen Eccles Theatre ticket office.
Tara Alvey covers the Cache County arts scene on her blog here.
MDL/TP
Sorry, comments for this entry are closed at this time.