Garden City Ballet had it’s 35th anniversary of the Nutcracker this year. A little over 100 people participate in the ballet every year. The age group varies from seven years old to fifty. There are several roles to participate in. The Nutcracker is always an entertaining event for people of all ages. Some people have been in the Nutcracker for 10 or more years while this may have been other peoples’ first year. 

Several people who go to Hellgate are in the ballet. These people include Zora Ybarra, Isabella Adams, Thalia Lambros, Nina Erving, Audrey Kurz, Liana Dillon, Cate Gibbons, Maisie Hart, Oscar Duffield, Gwyn Havlik, Bella Campbell, Thalia Gustina, Sylvie Nelson, and Hayden Kiely. Out of these people, seven were seniors, and it was their last year in the Nutcracker. 

Zorra Ybarra is a freshman at Hellgate High School. This wasn’t her first year being in the show, and Ybarra said, “I do Nutcracker because it’s a really fun production to be a part of, and it makes the holidays a lot more fun and festive. I love hanging out with the cast and bonding with them, and all the dancing. This last Nutcracker was a blast. I met so many new people and feel like I improved as a dancer.” Audrey Kurz, a sophomore who has been in the Nutcracker for several years said, “I just love dancing and performing. Being able to hang around with old and new dancers is really fun. The whole experience is great. Being able to be part of something bigger.” Audrey was in Snow and was the Tea Soloist. 

Maisie Hart played the role of the Harlequin Doll and was in Waltz of the Flowers, both parts are on pointe. She said, “The reason I do Nutcracker and the reason I love it is the people there who make it fun. It’s chaotic but super fun and I miss it (already).” Bella Adams, a senior who was in Snow and a Butterfly said, “It was really bittersweet being a senior this year but I’m ready to move onto the next thing.” Gwyn Havlik, who is also a senior said, “I love the people that I dance with and it’s a really great community to be a part of.” When asked about her senior year in the Nutcracker Gwyn replied with, “I’m going to miss dancing with everyone…but it’s really cool to see a whole new generation of dancers continuing on the tradition.” Gwyn was a Shepherdess and in Waltz of the Flowers.

Auditions for the Nutcracker are in September, and the dancers work hard from September all the way to mid-December to get all the dances down. The dancers are placed in roles based on their ballet ability. Most older dancers are placed in about 2 roles and 1-2 understudy roles. Depending on their ability, dancers can be put in roles that are en pointe or flat. They practice every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for varying hours. 

Each of the small dances that make up the whole Nutcracker are about 3 minutes long. The Party Scene is about 45 minutes and Snow Scene and Waltz of the Flowers are each about 5-7 minutes long. People have been tempted to fall asleep through the longer scenes which is understandable due to their length. 

The Nutcracker is a beautiful show put on by several ballet studios that gather together to join Garden City Ballet. Everyone from the littlest dancers to the older stage crew members play a huge part in making the show magical. Make sure to get your tickets to Garden City Ballet’s The Nutcracker in 2020 to come see all the people that work had to make a great show.