Holiday tradition returns to again dance its way into your heart
Mission Dance Centre presents Christmas classic this weekend
It’s officially the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season as the annual presentation of The Nutcracker takes young and old on a fanciful ride into an imagined land of the most wondrous creatures.
Exquisite artistry through ballet, delightful costumes and a time-honoured backdrop of music with Tchaikovsky’s magical score sets a scene like no other.
The enchanting tale of Christmas past features the dancers of Mission Dance Centre offering a dazzling performance complete with Sugar Plum Fairy, mischievous mice, dancing snowflakes and princesses, exotic dancers and a fierce battle with the Mouse King.
Central to the story is one very special Uncle Drosselmeyer, who arrives at the Stahlbaum home for Christmas festivities and an exchange of presents.
The children and adults are captivated with his magical powers, especially young Clara, who is presented with a unique toy Nutcracker doll which, as the evening progresses, becomes lifelike and takes young Clara, along with the audience, on a delightful ride to lands unknown.
Taking the role of Clara is Anna Baerg, who has performed the role before and enjoys the task of bringing a joyful touch to her character at the evening performance.
Another ballet student, Abby Hoek, tackles the same character for the matinee shows, while Anna then becomes the Sugar Plum.
“I love Clara,” Anna said. “She’s a fun role to play, and I feel I have a real connection to her and can really get into it.”
A student at the pre-professional dance centre, Anna has been dancing since she was nine and has plans to pursue a dance career. She is teamed with talented ballerina Annette Bakala, who tackles the Sugar Plum Fairy role for the third time, and with Tyler Rooke, who dons the role of the Nutcracker.
“The Sugar Plum Fairy is a dream role for all little girls,” Bakala said. “It’s beautiful and magical, and every year the role becomes more challenging because the choreography changes and becomes more difficult.”
Partnering her is Rooke, who takes to the stage for the first time as the Nutcracker and looks forward to his battle with the Mouse Queen — a slight departure from the traditionally expected Mouse King.
“The battle scene is a lot of fun,” he added. “I started here (the dance centre) two years ago and have earned my spot. Partnering with the girls, doing the lifts, is all great.”
In the show, which features colourful costumes for all of the dancers, the audience can be taken to many delightful, imaginary lands.
The fun begins when the Stahlbaum family retires from Christmas festivities, but Clara, enthralled by her magical Nutcracker, sneaks downstairs
for one more look at him.
He comes to life and takes her on a trip to frosty lands with sugar plum and candy treats, exotic dancers, scurrying mice and, of course, the fairies.
All ages will enjoy the magical Christmas tree that grows “to great heights” on stage, the dazzling sleigh pulled by prancing white reindeer and the many young ballet students who add fun to the production.
The Christmas classic is captivating for both young and old, and while the primary performance is on Saturday, the dance centre has paired with the school district to present performances on Thursday and Friday for hundreds of school students.
A special touch at the performances is the presence of a narrator, who keeps the audience connected to the action on stage.
Mission Dance Centre has been teaching aspiring ballet students for 16 years. It offers a number of pre-professional dance programs and stages productions such as Swan Lake and Alice in Wonderland, as well as The Nutcracker.