Stella Tompkins took her first ballet lesson at NY Kids Club in Long Island City when she was two years old. Nine years later, Stella, who is a 6th grader at East Ridge Middle School, has been cast as the lead in the world’s most beloved Christmastime ballet—The Nutcracker.
The Nutcracker debuted in Russia in 1892, and while Tchaikovsky’s score was instantly well-received, reviews of the first performances were less than stellar. It wasn’t until 1954, when George Balanchine—one of the most renowned choreographers in the history of ballet—reworked and modified the show that it became a holiday classic. Now, 70 years later, Stella is taking center stage as Marie in New York City Ballet’s production at Lincoln Center.
Are you thinking, “Wait, who is Marie?” If so, you aren’t alone. While “Clara” is the more well-known name of the girl who comes of age on Christmas Eve, “Marie” is the name specific to Balanchine’s New York City Ballet production. Stella’s mother, Jacqueline, remembers how confusing this was when her daughter first tried out for the role three years ago. Stella, along with a handful of other girls, came out telling their parents they had been auditioning for the role of Marie. “All the parents were like oh cool, great! Who’s that? Because we were thinking Clara! So we were all Googling, Who is Marie?” When they realized, their confusion quickly turned into excitement.
While Stella was cast as a Party Girl that year, one of the girls playing Marie fell ill with Covid, so Stella was asked to understudy, learning the part in only three days. Last year, Stella was again hoping for Marie, but was happy to dance the role of a Polichinelle. “They all want to get the good parts, but the girls are used to being let down. There are a lot of shows and a lot of casting opportunities, a lot of auditions!” Jacqueline tells us.
From the time she was a toddler, Stella has not stopped dancing. She's studied ballet at various studios, including Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance on Main Street, and American Ballet Theater in New York City. When her parents learned the application age at the School of American Ballet had been lowered to six, they brought her to try out.
The School of American Ballet (SAB), founded in 1934 by George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein, is the preeminent ballet school in the United States. Stella’s dream is to one day dance with the New York City Ballet (NYCB). She was one of about 100 children accepted into the program the year she applied. And her hard work over the last five years has certainly paid off. She made her Lincoln Center debut as a Page in A Midsummer Night’s Dream when she was nine. It was a watershed moment for her. She beams, recalling, “That’s when I knew I wanted to do this forever!”
This year, her third attempt for the role of Marie, has proven to be the charm. Tryouts began in late September. On October 5th, she learned the good news. “When my parents got the email, we were performing on stage in Mozartiana, so we had no idea,” she says. “I was with my friend, who also got Marie, and we were jumping up and down!. We were so excited!” (Two Maries are chosen each year because of the grueling schedule and late nights. Stella laughs, telling us, “I couldn’t do all of the shows because it’s almost every single day!”)
The Nutcracker premieres at Lincoln Center on Friday, November 29th and will run through Saturday, January 4th. Tickets can be purchased by visiting nycballet.com.
Although this year will undoubtedly be her most memorable, the stage at Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater isn’t the first time Stella performed in The Nutcracker. When she was three, she danced as a Bonbon in the production alongside her cousin, Olivia Geluso, here in Ridgefield. In a serendipitous turn of events that seems sprinkled with sugar plum fairy dust, Geluso is also the lead in this year’s performance of The Nutcracker. She will be taking center stage as Clara at The Klein Memorial Auditorium with Dance Factory Ridgefield (DFR). “The cousins are in their Clara Era!” Olivia’s mom, Lauren, tells us, smiling.
Olivia, who is 11 and a 5th grader at Ridgebury Elementary, also started dancing when she was a toddler. Although she loves ballet, she wanted to try contemporary, jazz, and hip-hop, so she joined DFR in 2021. Olivia loves everything about the studio. “The dancing, all of her teachers, the positive, safe environment that DFR fosters, the friends, it’s all been amazing,” Lauren says.
The feeling is mutual. Executive Artistic Director, Kristin Leggio, tells us, “It has been beyond rewarding to witness Olivia’s tremendous growth as a dancer and as a performer. She has an extremely bright future in dance and I am so honored to be part of her journey.”
Leggio restructured the studio that would become Dance Factory Ridgefield in 2018, and one of her top priorities was to stage a Nutcracker production. Working alongside Peter Nevin, Brianna Gitnik, and Karlie Zabin, they created original choreography for their new version. Full of twists, the show is set in modern times, not Victorian, with the dancers donning contemporary clothing. The backdrops are digital, allowing for various dynamic, animated moments throughout the show. And in a very au courant move, Leggio says, “We have a Mouse Queen instead of a Mouse King.”
Olivia, who is also an accomplished, award-winning soloist in DFR's Junior Company and Competition Team, never stops dancing. When she has a break from her demanding rehearsal schedule, she sets up her own studio at home in the living room or the basement, complete with an audience of one—her twin brother, James. “He is her biggest fan, and sometimes even her dancing partner!” Lauren says.
DFR's Nutcracker production evolves each year, but since 2021, their performance has been staged at The Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport. Leggio says, “We love having our shows at The Klein because it truly is a special night out at the Theater. It’s a wonderful way to get into the spirit and magic of the holiday season.”
This year’s crowd will certainly be a bit bigger than Olivia’s home audience of one, but her family and friends will be there to support her. And she can’t wait. “This is one of the greatest opportunities of my life and my dream come true! I can't wait to play Clara!” she beams.
DFR’s performance of The Nutcracker will take place at The Klein on Saturday, December 7th at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at theklein.org for seating at the theater, or you can purchase a livestream ticket and watch the show from home.
Main Street is home to another ballet school (Ridgefield’s longest-running), with its own storied Nutcracker history. In 1965, Patricia Schuster opened a small dance studio, which would go on to become Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance. Her dreams for this school included bringing a full-length production of The Nutcracker to town.
Amy Piantaggini, who has been Executive Director since 2013, tells us how the ballet school became a nonprofit in 2002—one of few in the region. Later that year, Schuster’s dream was realized, and a bigger and better production of The Nutcracker was staged at Ridgefield Playhouse. Now, Piantaggini tells us, around 80 performers are included in the show annually. This year, Francesca Prudente will dance in the role of Clara.
Francesca, who is 12 and lives in Bedford Hills, started taking ballet when she was 2 at her local studio. “I remember being in the Nutcracker, I was a white mouse. I was dancing with Clara and I thought: I want to be her when I’m older.” Francesca has realized her goal, telling us, with poise and maturity beyond her years, “It’s always been my dream! I’ve been working really hard, and I’ve been manifesting this for a long time.”
Mary Beth Hansohn, a retired ballerina, is an instructor at Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance as well as their Nutcracker Director. Taking the helm of the production in 2021, Hansohn rechoreographed the entire show herself in two weeks. Hansohn smiles, remembering, “I came in and had so much fun with the kids, because up until then I was teaching them, but I had never had that artistic freedom with them!”
Hansohn is taking full advantage of that artistic freedom this year, adding some pas de deux, or partnering work, for Clara and the Prince, who is played by Mateo Soni. She tells us, “We’re amping it up a little bit. It’s nice to showcase their strengths, but it’s also really great to give them things to challenge them and help them grow.”
The Holiday Stroll on Friday, December 6th will offer passersby a sneak peek at the ballet dancers. They will be donning their Nutcracker costumes and posing in the windows of the studio. At 7 p.m., the studio will transform into a black box theater, and viewers will have a sneak peek of the forthcoming production.
Grace Prudente, Francesca’s mom, tells us, "I am incredibly proud of Francesca’s dedication and the happiness she finds in every dance class, rehearsal and performance. It’s a joy to see her dreams come to life as Clara in The Nutcracker. I'm excited for the opportunities that lie ahead for her in this beautiful art form!"
Francesca, adds, "It’s a dream come true, definitely!”
Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance’s production of The Nutcracker will open at the Ridgefield Playhouse on Friday, 12/13 and will run through Sunday, 12/15. Tickets can be purchased online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org.
“I’ve been working really hard, and I’ve been manifesting this for a long time.”---Francesca Prudente