When Virginia Holte moved to the Big Island in 1986 after a successful dance career, her impact on the dance world was just beginning.
“I started a couple of classes at the Aloha Theatre — we had just five students.” She realized there was a lot of talent on the Big Island, but not many who could develop it. “Dance teachers dream to have this many talented kids,” says Virginia. Three of those five original students would have major dance careers. West Hawaiʻi Dance Theatre was born to provide world-class training for our local talent.
When speaking to Virginia about her passion for dance training, it’s easy to see that her students are the focus. “They all go on to do amazing things. The discipline carries over into the rest of life. They have to be smart to learn the choreography, learn how to work in a group, help each other, and there is no competition in the studio.” Within a few years, Virginia and her team trained over a hundred young dancers annually.
In 1989, West Hawaiʻi Dance Theatre launched a Christmas performance of The Nutcracker, and soon showcased the full performance of Tchaikovsky’s classic two-act ballet. They initially struggled with slow ticket sales and financial loss, but that was soon to change.
Moving the production to the Waimea’s Kahului Theatre was key. “We had the space and the tech team to do it really well,” says Virginia. For the last decade, tickets have been selling out.
The Nutcracker is a unique and beautiful ballet, a Christmas story set to the beautiful refrains of Tchaikovsky’s musical masterpiece. It features roles for all skill levels, from child ballerinas just beginning their training to choreography reserved only for the world-class. Virginia shares, “For many children, this is the first classical ballet they see. It’s a universal art form. There’s something for everyone in it. The 3-year-olds are the baby angels, and there are professionals dancing with them."
Kona Coast had the joy of attending the sold-out 2023 matinée and experience this.
West Hawaiʻi Dance Theatre’s performance is breathtaking. With every seat taken, an enthralled audience waits in breathless anticipation. As the curtain goes up, exquisite costumes and sets create the atmosphere. Act One opens with the party scene. The dancing is beautiful, and the audience is enthralled, with roaring applause after each scene. As the show progresses, the fairies and angels delight, Mother Ginger brings laughs, and the music suspends all who partake in wonder.
Anticipation builds to a pinnacle as two phenomenal dancers, Amar Ramasar (Principal Dancer, New York City Ballet) and Chloe Missldine (Principal dancer, American Ballet Theater), perform George Balanchine’s choreography of Pas De Deux. It’s difficult to express the wonder of this moment. Two dancers at the peak of their craft, moving in perfect harmony and elegance to the strains of Tchaikovsky’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Then the curtain comes down, and all are left in awe, wanting more, wishing the dream not to end.
Our island deserves this kind of artistic excellence. Not just for our residents' enjoyment, but to inspire the next generation so that they, too, could excel and be great.
Virginia shares, “I love it. I’ve danced the Nutcracker so many times with the Chicago Ballet and on tour. I love to bring the joy of the holiday season to people in a calm, beautiful way. This is about carrying on the tradition. Doing it live. A tradition we pass along to the next generation.”
Tickets can be purchased at WHDT.org.
I love to bring the joy of the holiday season.