Nutcracker: Christmas dreams brought to life

Roughly 200 local dancers will be on stage as they re-create "The Nutcracker," the timeless ballet about a girl's Christmas Eve dreams, with four shows on Dec. 1-3. (Submitted photo)
Roughly 200 local dancers will be on stage as they re-create "The Nutcracker," the timeless ballet about a girl's Christmas Eve dreams, with four shows on Dec. 1-3. (Submitted photo)

A beloved classic for the Texarkana Christmas season, "The Nutcracker" presented by Texarkana Community Ballet brings toy soldiers, sweets and faraway lands to life on stage.

Shown at the Perot Theatre, "The Nutcracker" includes the talents of roughly 200 dancers on stage as they recreate this timeless tale about a girl's Christmas Eve dreams, whether they involve dancing snowflakes or the Nutcracker himself performing for her delight.

Show times are 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, both 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3. That's four shows, one more than usual.

The main solo roles are filled this year by Savannah Halter as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Shelby Sawyer as the Nutcracker and Emily McMaster as Clara. Young dancers range in age from 8 to 18 years old.

Patti Thomas serves as TCB's board president while Ann Nicholas serves as a board member. Annually, they look forward to this professional-level ballet production.

This is the TCB's 50th anniversary, and for "The Nutcracker" this is 10 years years in a row for their annual ballet. And in total, the TCB has staged this particular ballet, with its iconic and utterly memorable score by Tchaikovsky, 27 times.

"Because it's a Christmas tradition and everybody loves it," Thomas said. "When we do something else, I don't think everybody's as excited about Christmas." For the folks putting it on, it's the same.

"We'd be lost if we didn't have 'The Nutcracker,'" Thomas said. Each year they change the cast, scenery, costumes and choreography, but what makes "The Nutcracker" so loved by children and adults alike remains the same.

For the dancers, they grow up wanting to perform in certain roles, explained Thomas.

"'When I get older, I want to be the Sugar Plum when I get older, I'm going to be the Arabian.' They just grow up wanting to do that," she said. Nicholas says they encourage the young dancers to see other "Nutcracker" performances, either on TV or in person.

They generally favor an authentic scenery for "The Nutcracker" when it comes to ordering it each year. "And the colors," Nicholas said about what they consider. For example, they like bright colors for the Land of Sweets and beauty for the snow scene.

No matter the backdrop, the story itself has endured in popularity.

"I think it's a very sweet story about a young girl who is dreaming given the time frame, her dream is of travels and of other parts of the world. She's imagining in her dreams what it would be like, and then she finds, perhaps, her first taste of either finding the Nutcracker as her prince or the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker dance and she sees sweetness, compassion and love. I think people enjoy the story very much," Nicholas said. Also, dreaming about beautiful things holds an appeal.

Because of demand, an additional Saturday afternoon matinee was added to this year's show lineup.

The TCB started in 1967 under the guidance of "some very special ladies," said Thomas. They were Sandra Robinson, Dixie Splawn and Judith McCarty. Providing performance opportunities is just one of many reasons the TCB was founded.

"Those three ladies wanted to bring the company experience to Texarkana," Nicholas said. It also provides classical ballet on a regular basis to the local audience and one of the few opportunities dancers will have to dance in a company, she said.

"And we have a true audition for these parts," Thomas said. A dance professional comes to Texarkana to conduct the auditions. For the dancers, it's all a chance to both further their dance education and learn new techniques.

Several dance schools come together to pool their dedication, talents and effort to make the TCB and this production happen. They are the Judith McCarty School of Dancing, All Stars Dance Center, Lana LaVoice Grounds School of Dance, Tammie Duncan School of Dance, Patti Smith's Dancing Unlimited, Joni's Gymnastics and Dance Centre and Texarkana Dance Academy.

(Tickets: $13, $11 and $8. More info and ticket purchase: Visit TRAHC.org or call 903-792-4992.) 

Upcoming Events