When the last curtain call ended at the close of “The Nutcracker” 2019, no one, either onstage or in the audience, could ever have predicted what awaited us all. As we know now, the result of the pandemic brought the performing arts world to a standstill. Like a domino effect, theaters one by one went dark all around the globe.
With footlights unplugged, dressing rooms empty and the cavernous Kavli Theatre a silent shell, Pacific Festival Ballet retreated into its cocoon, holding on to the hope of emerging sooner than later. As weeks turned into months and months into two years, the daunting reality of the COVID shutdown took its toll on the resident ballet company at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center.
“In hindsight I am glad we did not know how long this shutdown was going to last. At first, we thought the closure would be a month or so and we would ride it out,” says Artistic Director, Kim Maselli. “Once we realized the magnitude of this pandemic and the long-term effects it could have on our company, we shifted from survival mode to ‘let’s get proactive’ mode.”
Pacific Festival Ballet was in the midst of rehearsing “The Secret Garden” for their 2020 Spring season when everything came to a halt. By early summer the discussion of transforming this original ballet from a stage production to film was in full bloom. Creative minds explored options and new production teams went into action.
Using the Conejo Valley as the film’s background, dancers and crew found beautiful local landscapes to act as the film’s canvas. Often a crowd would gather as music and dance became a spontaneous stage distracting people from their everyday activities. The dance film premiered months later, projected on the side of a Westlake Village building with a red carpet and all.
“People were so excited to come out with their lawn chairs and set up in a dark parking lot,” comments Jonathan Sharp, one of the film’s leading performers. “It felt like a grand event!”
On the heels of the film’s success came the devastating news that theatre closures were extended indefinitely, and our Nutcracker 2020 season was cancelled. After celebrating 25 years at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza the year before, it came as a huge blow to Pacific Festival Ballet and the community as they realized this cherished holiday tradition was not going to happen. From seasoned professionals to the youngest patron, the disappointment was tangible.
Pre-professional ballet student Abbey Wyrrick says, “For years I have trained diligently with the hope of pursuing a ballet career. I also have had the role of Clara in ‘The Nutcracker’ as a personal goal. To realize this dream was postponed and possibly never achievable was hard for me.”
Once again, PFB went into problem solving and decided to venture into another dance film, this time on a larger scale. Instead of taking “The Nutcracker” from stage to film, the PFB board decided to bravely step in a new direction. One of Pacific Festival Ballet’s trademarks is producing original ballets as well as preserving and presenting the classics. With the COVID shutdown sending so many alumni and professionals home to the Conejo Valley, Pacific Festival Ballet decided to build an original holiday ballet showcasing these beautiful artists and incorporating the current dancers in our community.
This new film, “A Holiday Angel,” was an artistic effort created for the moment. The ballet is designed to celebrate the holidays, but it also holds a message of recognizing and uniting cultures from around the world. “During the holiday season more than ever, I think people are willing to set aside their differences and embrace all that humanity has in common,” Maselli says.
Partnering with TOArts Roadshows, “A Holiday Angel” premiered at The Lakes behind the Civic Arts Plaza to a parking lot full of supporters. The success of “A Holiday Angel,” along with the spirit of the holiday season, was recognized by the applause of honking horns!
As the calendar passed into 2021, Pacific Festival Ballet continued to expand its platform by filming archived performance pieces, again using the Conejo Valley as its background. Parks, greenbelts and gardens became opportunities for pop-up art. Film provided a wonderful way to keep dance alive, but everyone was yearning for the live performance experience.
At long last summer 2021 ushered in an outdoor performing opportunity at the beautiful Los Robles Gardens. For the first time in almost two years, an audience gathered and under the evening stars, music, dance and stage lights filled the amphitheater. On the heels of this performance came the announcement that Broadway and theaters around the country were opening their doors. That long-awaited moment had finally arrived!
Now on any given day at Pacific Festival Ballet, the score of “The Nutcracker” drifts from multiple rehearsal rooms. Dancers practice in the hallways as costumes are pulled out of storage and refurbished. The wheels are in motion for the company’s biggest comeback.
“The start-up process was more challenging than anticipated,” says Production Manager Paige Loter. “We have produced ‘The Nutcracker’ for so many years, but suddenly, this season, we were needing to hire new trucking companies, stage managers, costume designers, printing companies. It makes us realize how many organizations suffered from the COVID shutdown. We feel grateful that PFB weathered the storm.”
The return to the Civic Arts Plaza’s stage is met with great anticipation. Stepping into the theatre whether as Nutcracker’s cast, crew or audience member will not be taken lightly. The traditions of the holidays are met with new appreciation, and as the curtain rises on “The Nutcracker” 2021, the familiar joy will be rekindled along with a sensitive awareness of the journey we have all recently endured.
To purchase tickets to “The Nutcracker” or to view our ballet films, “The Secret Garden” or “A Holiday Angel,” visit PacFestBallet.org.