By Sherrie Norris
If ever there was a time to get lost in a dream surrounded by all that is magical, this would be it. Four presentations of the enchanting ballet, The Nutcracker, will make it all possible this coming weekend, as one of the season’s most treasured traditions returns to the High Country.
Nowhere is the ballet more anticipated and cherished than it is in Boone, where for nearly four decades, Studio K Youth Ballet Company has produced the enchanting presentation this time each year.
From Friday, Dec. 6 — Sunday, Dec. 8, audiences of all ages will fill the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts in Boone, where more than 350 local dancers — from ages 2 to 70 — will bring the magic to life once again.
Cay Harkins, founder of Studio K, first brought The Nutcracker to Boone in the 1980s soon after her arrival to the area, and her enthusiasm is just as real today as it was back then.
“If the music sounds sweeter than sugarplums, the dancers seem lighter than air, and the snowflakes sparkle more brightly than ever before, you are not dreaming, but you have escaped into the magical holiday classic ballet The Nutcracker, by Tchaikovsky,” Harkins shared. “And, the holiday season would not be complete without this festive tradition performed by our Studio K Youth Ballet Company.”
Harkins relates The Nutcracker as a magical story of a young girl, Clara, whose toy nutcracker transforms into a brave prince and takes her on a journey into the Land of Snow and Sweets on Christmas Eve.
The large cast of local dancers brings Clara’s dazzling holiday fairy tale to life this again week, and it’s something everyone should experience, at least once.
“Throughout the show, the stage sparkles with playful mice, a court of soldiers, guardian angels, graceful snowflakes, waltzing flowers, precious bonbons, party guests, ginger kids, and sugar plums,” Harkins described.
Furthermore, she adds, “It is every little (and big) girl’s dream to dance in The Nutcracker.”
The show is a wonderful way for families to start off the Christmas season, she shared. “From the hundreds of glamorous costumes and colorful backdrops to the amazing growing Christmas tree and enchanting snowfall, this show takes the audience on an extraordinary journey to faraway lands.”
For Harkins, who still directs this local production, it’s certainly a labor of love.
“I am so very blessed to be surrounded by such passionate dancers,” she stated with a sparkle in her eyes. “Every year, the entire company looks forward to returning to rehearsals in September and we work tirelessly right up to opening night.”
And, for Harkins and company, she surmised, it’s always very sad to watch the curtain close on the last performance,
“The Nutcracker is a wonderful tradition for Studio K, and as with most traditions, you need friends and family with whom to share in the joy,” Harkins contends.
And, there’s no doubt that Studio K is most definitely a family.
“Many of the ballerinas at Studio K cannot remember a Christmas without performing in The Nutcracker,” she said. “Each year as the young ballerinas mature, they progress to the next level of corps de ballet, beginning as little Bonbons and striving for the role of Sugar Plum Fairy.”
This year, Harkins noted, she is so excited to have several “third generation” dancers, as well as mother/daughter pairs in the performance.
“We still have some of the original ballerinas who were in our first Nutcracker in 1985!”
Studio K Ballet Company would like to invite you and your family to join Clara and her beloved nutcracker prince on their magical journey to the Land of Sweets. There will be four opportunities to experience this wonderful holiday tradition: Friday, December 6 at 7 p.m., Saturday, December 7 at1 and 7 p.m., Sunday, December 8 at 3 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or by visiting in person The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts box office or by calling (828)-262-4046.
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