The West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company presents “The Nutcracker Suite” on Saturday, December 3, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 4, at 1 p.m. at Grover Middle School in West Windsor. Tickets are $10 and $11. Roni Wilityer, the co-founder of the company, has been lucky to work with her entire family on past productions. This is the first time that her son, Ryan, 15, is portraying the role of the Prince.
A sophomore at High School North, Ryan plays oboe in the band, was on the junior varsity volleyball team at North last year, and was in the ensemble of “Beauty and the Beast.” At Community Middle School he was in “Cinderella” and “The Beatles Slept Here.” In his spare time, he has been volunteering at Pet Rescue of Mercer for close to three years.
Roni, the co-founder of the company and of the Dance Corner, was raised in Queens, New York. “I began dancing at the age of 8 after my parents took me to see the ballet movie version of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ I was mesmerized by the dancers and knew at once that I wanted to learn to dance and have never stopped,” she says. “It has been my lifelong passion and I consider it an honor to pass along my love of dance to children.”
Her husband, Peter, who is a senior manager of accounting at Church & Dwight Company, has worked behind the scenes since the West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company was launched in 2000. For the past 11 years he has also portrayed one of the parents in “The Nutcracker Suite.” “My favorite part of the job is watching the dancers’ faces when they perform and how happy they are when they are on stage,” he says.
“He is my go-to guy and brings all my visions to life whether it be a life-size boat for ‘The Tale of The Little Mermaid’ or a huge wooden wardrobe closet for ‘The Lost Princess,’” says Roni. “Through many generous grants we have been able to purchase 9’x30’ backdrops and he devised a simple system in which to hang them that makes for quick scene changes.”
Their daughter, Megan, is the company’s resident photographer and captures snapshots of all of the productions. A graduate of High School North in 2005, she received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rider University in 2010, and will complete her master’s in counseling from Rider University in 2012.
When Megan was younger she took dance lessons with her mother at the Dance Corner and performed in all of the WWPDC shows. “Even when she was dancing she was never without her camera and loved to photograph the dancers moving or in repose,” says Roni. “Her passion for photography has not waned, and she even found time to take some classes in photography.”
“My business partner, Amy DeCesare, and I feel the focus of our school and dance company is to instill a sense of pride and accomplishment in all our dancers and that our dance company is a wonderful venue for children to feel a part of a team,” says Roni. “The dance company affords us the opportunity to give back to the community as well with our performances at senior centers and fundraising events throughout the year.”
— Lynn Miller
The Nutcracker Suite, West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company, Grover Middle School, West Windsor. Saturday, December 3, 7 p.m. A narrated version of the timeless classic tale featuring ballet, pointe, hip-hop, tap, and jazz. Choreography by Amy DeCesare, Roni Wilityer, and Victoria Chodrow. Register. $11. Also Sunday, December 4, at 1 p.m. 609-799-9677. www.thedancecorner.org.
There are two more West Windsor residents with leading roles in the production. Marguerite Girandola, 16, and a sophomore at North, portrays the Sugar Plum Fairy. Jessica Lewinson, 15, and a sophomore at South, performs the role of Clara.
West Windsor dancers include Maggie Abitanto, Sydney Abitanto, Ece Berrak, Alexa Bornstein, Madison Briffa, Madelyn Castillo, Kayla Chait, Anna Chen, Kelly Chen, Vivian Chen, Callia Cordasco, Cate Didenko, Injy Elsamahy, Faith Falkowitz, Mia Ferri, Hannah Goldschmidt, Maya Goldschmidt, Emily Goon, Lauren Gracias, Anna Hendershot, and Hope Jaworowski.
Also, Isabel Josephson, Agraj Joshi, Anahita Joshi, Makenna Katz, Eve Kavalov, Lula Kavalov, Emiko Kobayashi, Courtney Kobus, Jamie Kobus, Kelsey Kobus, Lauren Kuczmarski, Emma Leland, Julia Leland, Charlotte Lichenstein, Jennifer Litzinger, Kimberly Litzinger, Danielle Lluberes, Olivia Lluberes, Alexa Lombardi, Karlie Lombardi, Hanna Lvov, Tanya Matthew, Casey McElroy Kelly McElroy, Caroline McGraw, Sophie Megargee, and Tess Megargee.
Also, Aditi Nayak, Akash Nayak, Elisabeth O’Connell, Michelle Oleary, Collette Onyuka, Maureen Onyuka, Julianna Pallacan, Hope Pandolpho, Julia Perl, Ruth Perl, Emilia Piccione, Olivia Piccione, Samyukta Pipada, Sophie Pirrera, Amanda Popovic, Olivia Popovic, Esha Raman, Mariana Ramirez, Christine Rexroad, and Rebecca Rost.
Also, Grace Sawyers, Rebecca Schwartz, Kaila Shah, Charlie Shankoff, Tia Sindhu, Trisha Sindhu, Corinne Smith, Jeanette Smith, Shannon Smith, Allie Strouse, Maddie Strouse, Abigail Tattle, Kelsey Tattle, Sydney Tattle, Regina Trevino, Rachel Trokenheim, Alex Vena, Anika Vincent, Alex Vogel, Meghan Vogt, and Emma Yanagi.
Plainsboro dancers include Katherine Antos, Taylor Britt, Caroline Bromberg, Emily Brown, Lauren Bryant, Samantha Burt, Annie Callahan, Meghan Callahan, Heather Collins, Caroline Corriveau, Claire Corriveau, Elizabeth Cruz, Mila Cvetanovic, Nora Devine, Brooke D’Ovidio, Julia D’Ovidio, Sophia D’Ovidio, Gina Eth‚, Madison Fetch, Cassidy Halligan, Penelope Helck, and Jillian Horwarth.
Also, Juliana Isnardi, Katie Kane, Molly Karlin, Genny Kasziba, Grace Kolker, Julia Kolker, Teja Kondeti, Amanda Kowalski, Carly Kowalski, Erin Liggio, Kate Liggio, Christina Markus, Nicole McCarthy, Michaela Meyer, Andrea Patella, Julia Patella, Christy Phillips, Elaina Phillips, Devon Reilly, Haylee Resnick, Samantha Resnick, Victoria Ruan, Alexa Rubin, Lindsay Rubin, Alexandria Sine, Natasha Singer, Olivia Solis, Calla Song, Iris Tseng, and Tatiana Tymofyeyeva.
