By Sloane Samberson
Staff Writer
It is Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum house and magic is in the air. The family is all together for a night filled with dancing, Christmas traditions and the exchanging of special presents.
Two talented dancers will embody the lead role of Clara in The Ballet Academy of Texas’ annual production of “The Nutcracker”.
Kristen Wright, 15, and Alise Newman,13, are the dynamic duo that will be the face of the Clara. Both Wright and Newman have been dancing nearly their whole life and after years of hard work, they get to dance one of the greatest roles in the world of ballet.
Wright and Newman were in complete awe when they found out they were chosen to play such a renowned role. This meant that all their effort had finally paid off.
To reduce stress on the lead dancer, both Wright and Newman each perform in two of the productions. It also gives more girls the chance to fulfil the dream of performing as Clara from year to year.
“Our teacher, Ms. Lisa Slagle, had a few girls go into the studio and learn Clara’s solo, a part in the party scene. She gave us a few corrections but it was pretty quick,” Newman said. “Then she had do it in groups of two in front of her and Mr. Allan Kinzie, our other teacher. After that, she wanted to see if we could do the acting portion of the role, so she taught us the little part where Clara is fighting with her brother Fritz over the nutcracker. After that we were done and she told us later that day,” Newman said.
To take part in “The Nutcracker”, you not only have to be able to dance but also act. It takes a lot of skill dance, but to dance and act is quite the challenge.
“I really like it because Clara’s character is so lighthearted and happy that is makes it really fun. It is a lot of acting in the role so it never gets boring,” Newman said. “It is really exciting to play a big role and also I think that practicing and working on the choreography has helped Kristen and I improve,” Newman said.
Along with the long practices, all regular classes are still in place. These girls can be at the studio for up to 30 hours a week. Practices last from 7:00-9:30 p.m. on Tuesday’s and from 12:30-6:00 p.m. on Saturday’s.
“The Saturday practices are really long, but all the work pays off because we improve each day. We’ve been practicing since September, so I think we’ve practiced around 100 hours if we practice eight hours a week,” Wright said.
Each year the production of “The Nutcracker” uses the same timeless dance moves along with some flair to add a personal aspect to each different cast of dancers.
“Getting to be backstage is so much fun! We have a room filled with snacks and drinks in between shows and when we warm up before the show we are allowed to wear footy-pajamas,” Wright said.
Slagle is director of “The Nutcracker” along with the help of Kinzie. Slagle has been head of of The Nutcracker since 1999 when she opened The Ballet Academy of Texas. Kinzie just recently joined the staff but has been teaching ballet for 26 years. Together the production of the 2013 Nutcracker is bound to exceed all limits.
“It seems kind of crazy at the studio during Nutcracker because there are a lot of people there. I actually like the really big rehearsals because sometimes it is fun to learn how to work in a rehearsal with so many people,” Newman said.
Each year hundreds of people come out to see their beloved ballerina’s perform in “The Nutcracker.” People just love watching the classic production, it is a great Christmas tradition for those who love dancing and the story of “The Nutcracker.”
“I really just can’t wait to get on stage and do what I love! It’s so cool to share a part with Alise because she is a remarkable dancer. I love working with her even though we won’t be performing together,” Wright said.
You can really tell the girls and boys love what they do by their onstage presence. Its such a sight to see all their smiling faces and perfected dance moves. The passion of dance fills the air during the performance of “The Nutcracker”, let alone any production created by the staff of The Ballet Academy of Texas.
“I am really looking forward to performing in front of the audience because that is my favorite part of dancing and that is the whole reason we rehearse so much, and it feels like the hard work really pays off while you are performing,” Newman said.
“The Nutcracker” will be performed at the Irving Arts Center this Saturday at 2:30 & 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 & 6:00 p.m. Tickets cost $26 for adults and $21 for students and seniors. To buy your tickets call the Irving Arts Center at 972-252-ARTS or visit their website, www. irvingartscenter.com.
