"The Nutcracker"

A new musical ensemble and a new artistic collaboration have been forged to usher in the holiday season with the beloved classic ballet, The Nutcracker, to be performed the Saturday after Thanksgiving by the Laurel Dance Company and the New Holland Holiday Pops Orchestra.

Under the direction of Ken Laudermilch, the New Holland Holiday Pops Orchestra is a branch of the New Holland Band, which was founded in 1856, six years earlier than the setting of this famous ballet, in 1862 Nuremburg, Germany.

Herr und Frau Stahlbaum, portrayed by Joseph Smith and Kelsy Diehl, are hosting a Christmas Eve party assisted by Grossmutter und Grossvater Stahlbaum, played by Rose Zimmerman and Joshua Dorsheimer. The house maids (Alison Baionno and Elizabeth Cheng) dutifully prepare the festivities while the Stahlbaum children, Clara and Fritz (Lala Nakamura and Elizabeth Kreider) excitedly await the arrival of their guests, including the Mayor of Nuremburg himself (Matt Williams) and his lovely wife (Joanna Martin), Clara’s Godfather, the eccentric but magical Herr Drosselmeyer, portrayed by David Hurst, and lots of other friends, delightedly danced by Brittany Willwerth, Kathryn Gingrich, Heather Hoover, Ashley Antkowiak, Katelyn Coryell, Kristen Hurdleston, Laurel Delgado, Sydney Morgan, Julia Yeomans, Katherine Williams, Isabel Harsh, and Madelyn Harsh.

As the party commences, Herr Drosselmeyer entertains the gathering with several life size dancing dolls. There’s the Dewdrop Fairy Doll (Melinda Brinton), The Snowdrop Fairy Doll (Tijana Saran), the Harlequin (Kendra Delgado), the Columbine (Melissa Kreider), and two Russian Dolls (Michael J. Smith and Kelsey Thompson). And especially for his god-daughter, Drosselmeyer presents Clara a life sized toy soldier, the Nutcracker, portrayed by Raymond Stoltzfus.

During and after the dolls’ dancing displays, the guests get caught up in the fun of a lively jig as well as the more stately Parents’ Dance and Grandparents’ Dances. But Clara’s brother Fritz and his friend (Lauren Delgado) get caught up in some mischief, and break the Nutcracker, much to Clara’s dismay. Drosselmeyer comforts Clara, but reminds her just the same, it is time she grows up and puts childish affection for toys behind her.

This gentle admonition sets the course of the rest of Kathleen Megnin Millay’s choreography of this ballet fantasy, set to the music of Peter Ilyich Tschaikovsky. After the party, Clara quietly sneaks back to the family’s formal living room, only to be found by Drosselmeyer, who almost magically sends her back to dreamland, escorted by little angels, and the rest of the story unfolds.

First the Christmas tree, then memories of the evening’s gathering become larger than life. Spanish hot chocolate, Arabian coffee, Chinese tea, peppermint and marzipan candy, gingerbread cookies, even the flowers and sugar plum confections come to life and present themselves to Clara, who has, as her god-father admonished her, grown into a young woman. After her midnight mission back to the Nutcracker, the tiny mice of which she had been afraid become a legion of rats, loyal to a Rat King whose fearsome persona grew from Fritz’s earlier attack against Clara’s Nutcracker/Prince.

A battle ensues between toy soldiers and rats, the Nutcracker and the Rat King, with Clara aghast at the goings on! The now-grown-up girl slings her slipper at the adversary, but it’s too late to save her hero, who has fallen to the sword of the Rat King. Enter Drosselmeyer, the maker of the evening’s magic, who revives Clara’s Nutcracker and sends the two on a lovely journey, welcomed by the Snow King and Queen, through a winter wonderland to, where else… the Kingdom of Sweets!

Clara’s first delight in this delectable Kingdom to is reign with her Nutcracker, as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier. Confections from around the world entertain them, even moving the royal couple to festoon the fantasy festivity, which is capped by the dramatic “Grand Pas”.

In this dance, the grown-up-Clara-crowned-Sugar-Plum-Fairy recognizes the different relationships she has had with the men in her life: her loving father, her mischievous brother, her kindly grandfather, the possible Rat Kings of her life, her affectionate godfather, and finally the love of her life, her Nutcracker Prince. After a joyful recap of her adventure, Herr Drosselmeyer reminds Clara that this was indeed a whimsical fantasy, and, like all of our nighttime dreams, must come to an end with the start of a new day.
Calendar Listing for Laurel Dance Company November 28, 2009

Laurel Dance Company a non-profit dance company serving Central Pennsylvania, in conjunction with the New Holland Pops Orchestra, will present a gala performance of The Nutcracker on Saturday, November 28th at 7:00 PM in the Conestoga Valley High School Auditorium 2110 Horseshoe Road Lancaster.