Young dancers from New Westminster will be sharing the stage with top dancers when Alberta Ballet's Nutcracker returns to Vancouver.
Aleksei Lehmann is a soldier and Emma Berrow is a rat in the production, which is onstage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre Dec. 28 to 31.
Also joining the cast are several Burnaby dancers. Alexander Mooney and Daina Zolty appear as a palace page boy and girl, while Sophie Leone-Schultz is a party girl and Sharleen Sais and Alyssa Sasis appear as party boys. Aedrie Consolacion, Emma Earle, Neesa Salehi and Barbara Mudrovcic are mice, while Selmah Kapidzic, Julia Colasurdo and Shona Kiyama join the ranks of the soldiers.
They're among more than 100 young dancers, aged eight to 15, featured in the production.
The Nutcracker, brought to Vancouver by Ballet B.C. is choreographed by Edmund Stripe with sets and costumes by Emmy Award-winning designer Zack Brown.
It's set in turn-of-the-20th-century Imperial Russia, with extravagant sets and costumes, and it's performed to music played live by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.
"Vancouver audiences were delighted with Alberta Ballet's The Nutcracker when it was first presented here in 2011," said Ballet B.C.'s artistic director, Emily Molnar, in a press release. "We're pleased to bring back this magical version of the famous Christmas ballet."
The Nutcracker is onstage Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings, Dec. 28 to 30, at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on Sunday and Tuesday, Dec. 29 and 31, at 2 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 1-855-985-2787 or online at ticketmaster.ca. Tickets are $26.50 to $85, with family packs and child prices available.
