Narelly Landin, left, and Ava Ballew, rehearse the battle scene between the Nutcracker and Mouse King, Saturday, prior to opening weekend for "The Nutcracker."
Zach Savage performs a duet and lift with Betsy Panagiotou in the "Clara meets the Prince" scene during rehearsal at Fabulous Feet Dance Studio on Saturday.
Ballerinas hold holiday lights as they rehearse a dance at Fabulous Feet Dance Studio Saturday for their upcoming "Nutcracker" performance at the Numerica Performing Arts Center this weekend.
Narelly Landin, left, and Ava Ballew, rehearse the battle scene between the Nutcracker and Mouse King, Saturday, prior to opening weekend for "The Nutcracker."
Zach Savage performs a duet and lift with Betsy Panagiotou in the "Clara meets the Prince" scene during rehearsal at Fabulous Feet Dance Studio on Saturday.
Ballerinas hold holiday lights as they rehearse a dance at Fabulous Feet Dance Studio Saturday for their upcoming "Nutcracker" performance at the Numerica Performing Arts Center this weekend.
WENATCHEE – For the eighth year performing “The Nutcracker” together, the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Fabulous Feet Academy of Ballet will bring a full production of Tchaikovsky’s score with a costumed ballet to Numerica Center for Performing Arts. Performances are at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
Conductor Nikolas Caoile has been based in Ellensburg for 17 years with Central Washington University’s Department of Music. He also travels to Seattle once a week to conduct the Lake Union Civic Orchestra. As the music director and conductor of Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, he comes to Wenatchee for six yearly performances with four rehearsals before each show. He said on the phone last Friday that he has done “The Nutcracker” over 60 times.
“What I love about Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, especially, is how during the day they’re ordinary citizens: teachers, small business owners, stay-at-home moms, dentists, all kinds of different people,” said Caoile, “And at night they get to do what they really love to do, which is play music.”
“This music is like a soundtrack to a family movie,” said Caoile, “It’s airy, light and bright, you are coming away whistling and humming a lot of the tunes.”
Caoile said he likes Fabulous Feet for the mix of acrobatics and aerial silks in “Arabian Coffee” as well as classical ballet elements for “Waltz of the Flowers.” For over 30 years, Fabulous Feet Owner and Dance Director Melissa Miller said some parts have stayed true to choreography passed on from Joan Shelton, who participated as ballet teacher in Wenatchee into her 90s. The scrim with the house in the opening scene is an original of Shelton’s design.
“The other part I like is it’s family oriented,” said Caoile. “The age of the youngest involved is probably 4 or 5 and the oldest is in their 70s.”
The Prince is performed for the third time by Zach Savage, 26, who said he likes seeing young dancers grow up into bigger roles, and in turn that some of the youngest dancers see him like a “Disney character thing.” He met Miller in 2016 with “Mary Poppins,” and performed most recently in “Pippin” for Hot August Nights.
Two members of the cast are Isabella Snell, 10, and Alexa Lippert, 11, who share the same roles of party girl in the first act, and demi-flower. They agreed at a Saturday dress rehearsal that the most challenging role is Clara’s because “she’s on pointe for so long and has so many things to remember in every scene,” said Snell.
Clara Stahlbaum’s parents are played by adult theatre artists Paul Atwood and Susan Heminger. Heminger’s husband plays in the orchestra and four of their five kids perform in “The Nutcracker.” She said the show’s costumes are rented and the “costume ladies are so organized.”
Another Christmas party girl in the cast with family involved in the production is Kelly Locke, 10, who talked through her dance moves while offstage at the studio rehearsal. She said her parents are involved as dance teacher Andrea Locke, and technical director Mike Locke.
Fabulous Feet dance teacher Tracy Trotter said the competitive dance program requires ballet basics, which are “techniques that helped us win an overall national award.”
Tickets are $22-$45 and available online at numericapac.org or by calling the box office at (509) 663-2787.
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