Set in 19th century Europe to Tchaikovsky’s score, the ballet features dolls and sweets coming to life, mice and toy soldiers doing battle, and snowflakes dancing in a snow-covered forest. The story, based on Alexander Dumas’ adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice,” began to achieve its current seasonal popularity in the mid-1950s.
There are several versions produced by dance companies in the West Windsor-Plainsboro area:
West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company presents “The Nutcracker Suite” on Saturday and Sunday, December 5 and 6, at Thomas Grover Middle School, West Windsor. Tickets may be purchased at the Dance Corner, Southfield Shopping Center, West Windsor. The role of Clara is danced by Marguerite Girandola and the Prince by Steven Del Col.
The Sugar Plum Fairy is Marissa Wiener, 17, who has been studying ballet with Roni Wiltyer, co-owner of the company, since she was three. A senior at High School North, Wiener is a member of the National Honor Society, teaches religious education at St. David the King Church, and tutors at Martin House. She is busy auditioning for dance scholarships in college.
“I choreographed a solo for him (Steven Del Col) and a pas de deux for both of them,” says Wiltyer. “It is so rewarding to see them mature and grow as dancers and individuals with their own unique personality.”
West Windsor dancers include Michelle Agarwal, Jessica Agran, Kayla Athey, Gabrielle Bailey, Jordan Bohannon, Alexa Bornstein, Vivian Chen, Madeline Chia, Callia Cordasco, Eleanor Ding, Sarah Dunn, Chloe Elias, and Danielle Erickson.
Also, Mia Ferri, Jessica Fu, Sara Furtak, Marguerite Girandola, Lauren Gracias, Sarah Hanslin, Asha Hauser, Kiren Hauser, Hope Jaworowski, Anahita Joshi, Eve Kavalov, Lula Kavalov, Emiko Kobayashi, Kimi Kobayashi, Courtney Kobus, Jamie Kobus, Kelsey Kobus, Kallie Kunukkasseril, and Kirin Kunukkasseril.
Also, Sophia Lennox, Jessica Lewinson, Charlotte Lichtenstein, Katherine LiPuma, Jennifer Litzinger, Kimberly Litzinger, Alexa Lombardi, Karlie Lombardi, Giulia Marolda, Haley McCort, Casey McElroy, Kelly McElroy, Amanda Musmanno, Aditi Nayak, Elisabeth O’Connell, and Sophie Pirrera.
Also, Mariana Ramirez, Julia Revock, Christine Rexroad, Isabella Rios, Valeria Rios, Rebecca Rost, Grace Sawyers, Emily Sharlach, Corinne Smith, Jeanette Smith, Shannon Smith, Paige Stewart, Abigail Tattle, Kelsey Tattle, Sydney Tattle, Anika Vincent, Alex Vogel, and Marissa Wiener.
Plainsboro dancers include Katherine Antos, Cece Baumann, Elise Burton, Arianna Capuano, Isabella Capuano, Annabel Guo, Kate Henry, Juliana Isnardi, Katie Kane, Molly Karlin, Emma Killeen, Grace Kolker, Amanda Kowalski, and Carly Kowalski.
Also, Nicole McCarthy, Laura Parsons-Hutton, Jessica Polin, Ominay Robertson, Alexandria Sine, Natasha Singer, Amanda Siskind, Sarah Siskind, Olivia Solis, Rebecca Solis, Bhanu Thelakkat, Iris Tseng, Kylie Vandenberg, and Yashvi Verma.
West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company, Grover Middle School, West Windsor. Saturday, December 5, 7 p.m.; and Sunday, December 6, 1 p.m. Choreography by Amy DeCesare, Roni Wilityer, and Victoria Chodrow. Register. $9. 609-799-9677. www.thedancecorner.org.
DanceVision, based in Plainsboro, is performing “The Nutcracker,” on Saturday, December 5, at the Montgomery Performing Arts Center in Skillman. Alessa Meni, 15, of West Windsor is dancing the role of Marie/Clara. A sophomore at High School North, she began studying ballet at the age of eight at Princeton Dance and Theater in Plainsboro. Prior to moving to the area in 2002, she concentrated on tap dancing in New York City. Meni now dances 14 hours a week — 10 hours of ballet and 4 hours of tap.
A member of American Tap Dance Foundation’s Tap City Youth Ensemble in New York City, she performed in July at Symphony Space in New York with “Tap City, The NYC Tap Festival.” In November she performed with the African Gum Boot Dance in the America Dances! show at City Center in New York. She performed in both DanceVision’s Nutcracker and Secret Garden. Last summer she completed ABT’s summer intensive in Bermuda, and performed in its production of Le Corsaire in 2008 and 2009.
Student dancers from West Windsor and Plainsboro include Iris Foster, Maurice Hawk School; Madison Lai and Alexandrea Pastor, Village School; Grace Sandford, High School South; Michell Xu, Community Middle School; Mnaya Zhu, Wycoff School; Juliet Martone, High School North; and Elise Millrod, Grover Middle School. Adult dancers include West Windsor residents Rhonda Meni, Dan Sandford, Marie Alonzo Snyder, Hugo Arrue, and Sophia Tian.
Dance Vision, Montgomery High School, 1014 Route 601, Skillman. Saturday, December 5, 3 and 7 p.m. $25. 609-514-1600. www.dancevision.org.
New Jersey Youth Ballet presents a fully narrated and abridged family version of “The Nutcracker” at Kelsey Theater Friday to Sunday, December 18 to 20. After each performance, children and parents are invited on stage to meet the dancers, get autographs and take photos. The dancers ranging from 5 to 18 study at the Dance Connection of Hillsborough.
New Jersey Youth Ballet, Kelsey Theater, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road, West Windsor. Friday, December 18, 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 19, 1 and 4 p.m.; and Sunday, December 20, 1 and 4 p.m. $12. 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheatre.net.
The American Repertory Ballet presents its “Nutcracker” in two central New Jersey locations:
Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, Trenton. Saturday, December 12, 1 and 4:30 p.m. $20 to $30. 609-984-8400. www.arballet.org.
Also, State Theater, 15 Livingston Avenue, New Brunswick. Saturday and Sunday, December 19 and 20, 1 and 4:30 p.m. $32 to $52. 732-246-7469. www.StateTheatreNJ.org.
