École de Ballet Classique Sutton’s moves to bigger venue in Knowlton

Christmas is coming up, which means we have a chance to enjoy nut cake, hot chocolate, and mandarin oranges. While we’re at it, why not enjoy a show of The Nutcracker?

Set to Tchaikovsky’s music, this oneact children’s production recounts Marie’s adventures with the Mouse King and the Nutcracker Prince. Suitable for all ages, this rendition of the holiday classic will last one hour and will be staged for the first time at Theatre Lac Brome.

Choreographer and director of the École de Ballet Classique Sutton Anastasia Usenko is excited about the upcoming performance. “We are thrilled to bring our new production at the theatre,” she said. “Last year’s show was such a success that every performance was sold out, and there were people who never got to see it. Being able to stage the ballet at a bigger venue has really allowed us to take the whole production to the next level. This will be something very special.”

On opening night, drop by an hour before the show begins to listen to live music, enjoy some refreshments, and listen to the story of The Nutcracker being explained to little ones under the Christmas tree. “This ballet is a wonderful way to introduce younger audiences to the classical performing arts,” said Usenko. “I hope we have succeeded in capturing a story-book feeling in our production.”

The production will be shown on December 16 at 5 p.m. and on December 17 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. respectively.

Anne Emanueli is a mother of four girls. Her youngest, Zelda, is interpreting the role of Masha, otherwise known as Marie. A dedicated ballet dancer once herself, Emanueli was pleased that two of her girls were the first children to sign up at Usenko’s school. “Who knew that a Russian professional would come along and open a classical ballet school?” asked Emanueli. “I love the fact that Usenko has brought people of different ages together. We have a school with kids aged between 3 and 4 years old, we have teenagers, we have adults, and we have dads. Sure, we all have to do some volunteer time and show our enthusiasm, but it’s so worth it because the standards are high. In this respect, there are numerous unintended benefits.”

Tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children aged 12 years and younger. Tickets are available at www.balletsutton.com. For more information, contact balletsutton@gmail.com.