It’s not Christmas without the Nutcracker – and for people in New Westminster, that means the Royal City Youth Ballet.
The company is presenting its 29th season of the Nutcracker at the Massey Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 23.
The annual full-length ballet features a cast of more than 100 young dancers under the artistic direction of Camilla Fishwick-Kellogg, performing to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s beloved music.
In the dancers’ ranks are many from New Westminster.
“Performing for their hometown audiences will be the highlight of the season for them,” a press release from the company notes.
For those unfamiliar with the story, the ballet opens on Christmas Eve, when a young girl, Clara, receives a present from her godfather during her parents’ annual Christmas party.
That present, of course, is a Nutcracker soldier.
“When she falls asleep after the party, Clara is cradling the Nutcracker in her arms and begins to dream.
“In her dream her Nutcracker soldier fights a battle and transports her on a sleigh through the Land of Snow to the Land of Sweets, where the meets the Sugar Plum Fairy and people from faraway lands.”
Along the way, audiences will enjoy everything they have come to expect from the Nutcracker: magical soldiers, fighting mice, the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Snow King and Queen, the Arabian and Spanish dancers, and much more.
Once again, the performance comes to the stage against a backdrop of sumptuous sets designed by Jean-Claude Olivier and extravagant costumes by Chris Sinosich.
Shows are on at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. For tickets, see www.ticketsnw.ca. For information, see www.royalcityyouthballet.org.
