A delicious holiday treat returns this year to the Betty Leeth Haynes Theatre at Wallace State Community College: Ballet South’s production of “The Nutcracker.” Shows are Saturday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 24, at 2 p.m.
Ballet South Artistic Director Brooke Desnoes said preparations for the production began back in January.
“I have been participating in this ballet either as a dancer, rehearsal coach, director or choreographer for the past 40 years, and after all those ‘Nutcrackers’ I always feel it’s important to make small changes for every new production. Every new staging must offer the dancers, audience and myself a new and fresh experience,” she said. “Our props are made in-house by a wonderful small team of volunteers and our professional costumes are custom made in Eastern Europe. Each new production should be a tribute to Tchaikovsky’s genius and the beauty of his timeless score. I am constantly reminding the dancers to listen to the music and interpret the music. George Balanchine used the expression, ‘See the music, hear the dance.’”
Desnoes talked about why “The Nutcracker” is so special during the holiday season, saying, “I usually schedule Ballet South’s production the weekend before Thanksgiving because I feel the show puts us in the mood for drinking hot cocoa, building snowmen and spending time with our families. It’s a perfect opener for the holiday season! No matter how old you are, seeing ‘The Nutcracker’ always brings back childhood memories. Hearing its music throws you into the magic of Christmas.”
If you’ve never seen “The Nutcracker,” Desnoes smiled, “It’s about the power of the imagination and the freedom to dream outside the contingencies of adulthood.”
Tickets can be purchased at ballet-south.org.