The holiday tradition of The Nutcracker is a staple of the Christmas season. Houston Repertoire Ballet has been bringing this production to life for Northwest Houston audiences for 26 years. However this year, you will find them on a different stage.
The newly built Cy-Fair ISD Visual and Performing Arts Center is the new home of Houston Repertoire Ballet’s performances. “We're super excited to be in this new venue. We're very grateful that Cy-Fair ISD built the facility,” said Judy Jackson, executive assistant to the artistic director and board liaison.
Previously housed in the Tomball High School auditorium, the growth of the ballet company has led to a need for a bigger space to accommodate their audiences. Fortunately, the CFISD VPAC allows for double the seating capacity. Transitioning theaters required Houston Repertoire Ballet to recreate their sets to fill the larger stage. They collaborated with scenic designer Ian Loveall to render the new designs, and Dallas Stage Scenery handcrafted the eye-catching set pieces and backdrops. “I cannot wait to see this all come to fruition,” Jackson said. “Everybody is very excited about it.”
The change in venue also provides Houston Repertoire Ballet with an orchestra pit to accommodate their in-house orchestra, founded last year. The orchestra, under the direction of conductor and music director Tarana Taylor, features professional musicians and educators from CFISD and surrounding school districts. The venue’s unique sound system will amplify the talents of the musicians. The CFISD VPAC houses the only L-Acoustics L-ISA immersive audio in Houston. “We're excited about the acoustics and the sound that the orchestra is going to put out,” Jackson said.
The official school of Houston Repertoire Ballet, Ballet Center of Houston, is located less than 10 minutes from the CFISD VPAC. Jackson is excited to bring productions closer to their dancers’ community. “It's really cool to be kind of in our own backyard and… to bring these ballet performances right here,” Jackson said.
Ballet Center of Houston offers a broad curriculum, starting with beginner classes for those who want to try ballet to advanced training for pre-professionals, according to their website. When students are in levels six through 10 of the school, they are eligible to be invited into the Houston Repertoire Ballet company. As part of the performance company, members are selected for roles in stage productions based on their capabilities and progression.
For “The Nutcracker” specifically, there are more opportunities for minor roles that can be auditioned for by students in lower levels. Jackson said the faculty strives to make this audition process fun and exciting. “We're not a competitive environment. We're more of a team building environment,” Jackson said. “We want all of our experiences for our dancers to be positive.”
A unique aspect of Houston Repertoire Ballet’s Nutcracker is their professional guest artists. Each year, they bring in two adult dancers, sometimes alumni, from highly acclaimed ballet companies across the world to portray the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. This year, Houston Repertoire Ballet is welcoming Léa Fleytoux and Jake Roxander from American Ballet Theatre in New York City.
As a 501(c)(3) non profit organization, Houston Repertoire Ballet’s mission is to provide families in Northwest Houston with opportunities to be exposed to ballet and the arts at an affordable cost.
“It’s gonna be such an incredible Nutcracker, especially for the community in the new theater, in the new location,” said Victoria Vittum, artistic director and co-founder. “We're just so excited about everything being so brand new.”