LA CROSSE DANCE CENTRE'S ANNUAL NUTCRACKER BALLET
For the past 26 years, the La Crosse Dance Centre has brought “The Nutcracker Ballet” to life every holiday season. The famous story follows young Maria as she rescues the Nutcracker Prince during a clash with the Rat Queen and enjoys an enchanted evening surrounded by fairies representing various candies, including the famous Sugar Plum Fairy. Though the boys and girls are telling the same story every year, choreographers and director, Nikki Balsamo, make sure to create brand new choreography and cast people in different parts each year.
Allie Marshall, a veteran at the studio, has been dancing since she was three years old. She has studied all different genres of dance, but ballet is by far her favorite. This year, she is playing a Russian and an Arabian in the second act of the show. Though she has been in the show five times already, this will be her first time dancing as an Arabian. “Nikki Balsamo and all the LDC staff do a great job of putting new students in new roles every year,” says Marshall, “so you can look forward to seeing new faces playing the role of Maria all the way to a cute little snow angel. If you have seen the show before, you are going to want to see it again because it will be a whole new experience.”
Marshall recently graduated Viterbo with a degree in education and enjoys the opportunity to work with children of all ages when putting this show together. “The littlest ones make this experience the most fun,” says Marshall, “To them being in the Nutcracker is the biggest deal. For a lot of the younger students, their parents brought them to the show in previous years and now they're in it, and they think that is the coolest thing.”
For many La Crosse natives, seeing “The Nutcracker” is a holiday tradition. With sword fights, magic, snow angels, colorful costumes and all different genres of dance; this is a show that has something for everyone. “This year Nikki chose to imagine each of us as Greek goddesses so I got to explore the goddess of air and how she moves, carries herself and how that is presented in the dance. I am excited for the audience to see our ‘Girl Power’ in this number.”
“The Nutcracker Ballet” will be performed in the Viterbo Fine Arts Center Main Theater on December 9 at 7:30 p.m. and on December 10 at 2:00 p.m. Students can receive a discount on tickets by showing their student I.D. at the box office.