On December 14th and 15th, at River Dell High School, Ballet Arts NJ will present the Nutcracker ballet alongside the accompaniment of the Adelphi Orchestra.
Ballet Arts is a local dance studio in Emerson, New Jersey, which was opened by Diana Turner Houser in 1976, and it has grown into one of the region’s most highly acclaimed spaces for dancers of all ages to learn and study the art of ballet. The studio is now led by Madame Jane Silane and Madame Marilyn Nichols.
Based on the original choreography created by George Balanchine, Ballet Arts version of The Nutcracker tells the tale of a young girl, Clara, and her mischievous brother, Franz, who on Christmas Eve have a magical experience where they defeat a Mouse Queen with the help of a Nutcracker prince, and travel to a whimsical Land of Sweets. With music composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Clara and Franz are entertained by many sweets, such as Chocolates, Coffees, Marzipans, Teas, Trepaks, and of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier.
The Adelphi orchestra is a professional orchestra in New Jersey and has worked with Ballet Arts since the 2022 performance of the Nutcracker. Kyunghun Kim serves as the principal conductor. “Dancing with a live orchestra is so much better than dancing to a recording because it is more intimate, and you can really feel the different notes and rhythms you are matching your steps to” explains Tessa Klein, a junior at River Dell who will perform the role of Snow Queen and Chocolate this year.
Additionally, Ballet Arts has a unique way of costuming. Every year, dancers are fitted for their roles with costumes that have been hand-sewn and used for over 40 years, and are altered by seamstresses Haruka Fuji and Giselle Ferrari-Wong. This year, Ballet Arts has created new costumes for the Waltz of the Flowers this year which are new, vibrant, and exciting.
Ballet Arts is also special as they bring in professional dancers from the American Ballet Theatre every year. The title role of the Nutcracker prince will be performed by Kellan Hayag, who is a student at the American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School. Kathleen Hahn, a junior at Immaculate Heart Academy, will dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The roles of Clara and Franz will be performed by elementary school students Jillian Klein and Shannon Grieb on the Saturday evening show, and Leah Runchey and Evangeline Camacho on the Sunday matinee performance.
Atiya Jackson, a junior at River Dell High School, who plays the role of Trepak and Moor, explained “We do the Nutcracker here every single year. When you join when you are younger, you watch all these older dancers dance these beautiful roles. Then when you grow and grow into these roles it’s a really magical moment because you get to perform together with your friends all of these wonderful roles together.”
Even more, Tatum Leung, also a junior at River Dell, who plays the role of the Nutcracker, stated, “My favorite part of the show is getting to connect with other cast members to create something that the whole community can enjoy! I also just love the nostalgia of the Nutcracker; it’s been part of my family’s winter for as long as I can remember!”
So, grab your family and your friends to see this wonderful holiday treat!
