Jennifer Rogers, a West Windsor resident who has been dancing for 14 years, has landed the coveted role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company’s “The Nutcracker Suite.” ##M:[more]##
The understudy for the past two years, Rogers has aspired to dance the part for many years. When she developed a knee injury during a dress rehearsal for her spring recital in June, it looked as if her chances were slim.
“However, this summer I went through intense physical therapy when I was concerned about whether or not I would be capable to do such a vigorous dance,” she says. “As it turned out the physical therapy, three times a week for 12 weeks, made me stronger than before.” Since she was cast as the Sugar Plum Fairy she has been rehearsing twice a week and also continuing to cross train by working out at her physical therapy center.
“The day that the cast list was posted my mom called me at school to tell me that I was the Sugar Plum Fairy,” she says. “I was ecstatic to see that my hard work over the past two years and especially this summer had paid off and I had finally achieved my goal.”
Rogers, 16, is a junior at High School South. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she has lived in West Windsor for eight years. Her father, Steve Rogers, a former baseball player, works at the Major League Baseball Players Association. Her mother, Robin, has the job of driving her from dance class to dance class.
Her dance studies include ballet in Tulsa, Central Jersey Dance Project, and the Dance Corner for the past six years. She has also studied jazz, hip-hop, tap, and lyrical.
Rogers participated in the Rockette Experience for several years. The full-day workshop includes three hours of dancing featuring Rockette choreography and style, a tour of Radio City Music Hall, a mock audition, and a question and answer session with some actual Rockettes.
The Rockette Summer Intensive is a competitive camp that Rogers was accepted into twice. Prerequisites include a minimum of five years of tap, jazz, and ballet training, and an audition in front of Rockettes and choreographers. Rogers, who auditioned at Radio City Music Hall, was taught a few Rockette numbers involving a jazz, tap and kick line routine. “The entire auditioning process is about four hours,” says Rogers. There are six day camps, each including six hours of daily dancing in all styles including Rockette jazz, tap, and kick lines. At the end of the six days Rogers performed in a showcase on Broadway.
At South she was in last year’s musical, “The Pajama Game.” Rogers also takes voice lessons with David Madore in Plainsboro and plans to attend college either majoring in musical theater or dance.
“The Nutcracker Suite” is a blend of traditional and contemporary music, choreography, and set designs. The 150 dancers perform not only ballet and pointe, but also jazz, hip hop, and tap, in the timeless classic.
Danielle Erickson, a sophomore at High School South, plays the role of Clara. Soloists from High School North include Marissa Wiener as the Ballerina Doll and Arabian (also the understudy for the Sugar Plum Fairy), Hope Jin as Chinese Tea, and Katherine LiPuma as the Tap Doll.
“Jennifer and Danielle have been studying with us for a long time and they both look so lovely when they dance,” says Roni Wiltyer, co-founder of the studio. “They have come up through the ranks of our company and have achieved a very strong technique.”
West Windsor dancers include Sydney Abitanto, Gabriella Alvarez, Emma Bailey, Jessica Bistrais, Julie Bradley, Kailyn Castro, Vivian Chen, Caroline Charles, Kelly Charles, Madeline Chia, Emily Chun, Hannah Chun, Julianne Dela Cruz, Steven Del Col, Vivian Ding, Alison Durkee, Danielle Erickson, Emily Frascella, Anne-Charlotte Frotte, Jessica Fu, Sydney Gawason, Marguerite Girandola, Celia Golod, Elise Gorberg, Hope Jin, Amanda Katt, Eve Kavalov, Lula Kavalov, Fallon Keane, Hayden Klein, Courtney Kobus, Jamie Kobus, Kelsey Kobus, Samantha Koch, Connor Kraft, Courtney Kraft, Elizabeth Lanphear, Jessica Lewinson, Elizabeth Legge, Katherine LiPuma, Alexa Lombardi, Karlie Lombardi, and Lauren Louie.
Also, Prachi Mahableshwarkar, Kaleigh McCarron, Casey McElroy, Kelly McElroy, Annalynn McPetrie, Alyssa Miller, Heather Muniz, Aditi Nayak, Elisabeth O’ Connell, Michelle O’Leary, Julia Pendino, Brynn Peterson, Layne Peterson, Ivy Picco, Nicole Potenza, Carly Purus, Julia Revock, Christine Rexroad, Sloane Ritterbush, Alexis Richter, Courtney Richter, Rachel Richter, Jennifer Rogers, Rebecca Rost, Mollie Rubinstein, Grace Sawyers, Emily Sharlach, Maggie Slonaker, Corinne Smith, Jeanette Smith, Shannon Smith, Abigail Tattle, Kelsey Tattle, Sydney Tattle, Elissa Teles, Yemoe Thoumong, Victoria Velez, Rebecca Van Dyke, Anika Vincent, Lindsey Walter, Elizabeth Wembacher, Kathryn Wembacher, Rebecca Weston, Marissa Wiener, Caitlyn Yurcisin, Kylie Yurcisin, and Lily Zhou.
Plainsboro dancers include Katherine Antos, Cate Bashore, Carol Berner, Taylor Britt, Emily Brown, Elise Burton, Carolyn Campbell, Victoria Campbell, Isabella Capuano, Delaney Cochrane, Emily Cornish, Gina Ethe, Lilah Ethe, Jonathan Falzon, Grace Forrest, Kaileigh Fox, Kiara Fox, Kate Grande, Kate Henry, Courtney Hudson, Gemma Hutton, Alexandra Infante, Stefanie Infante, Julianna Isnardi, Rosetta Isnardi, Molly Karlin, Amanda Kowalski, and Carly Kowalski.
Also, Christina Markus, Kelly Markus, Nicole McCarthy, Andrea Patella, Julia Patella, Jasmine Rawles, Devon Reilley, Alison Richman, Hannah Richman, Alison Safranek, Vinitha Simhadri, Alexandria Sine, and Madison Zaro. — Lynn Miller
The Nutcracker Suite, West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company, Grover Middle School, West Windsor, 609-799-9684. www.thedancecorner.org. A narrated version of the timeless classic. Choreography by Amy DeCesare, Roni Wilityer, and Victoria Chodrow. $9. Saturday, December 1, at 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 2, 1 p.m..
For more ‘Nutcracker’ productions see advertorial, page 31, and also visit www.PrincetonInfo.com and search the events database.
