The name of the game for this year’s performance of “The Nutcracker” is refinement, and director Jesse Cooper says the dancer and production is ready for a stellar show.
The show, put on by the Kansas Youth Dance Company, will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.
This year marks the second annual production of “The Nutcracker” by the company, which Cooper said is going to be a family tradition in Allen County. They have been preparing since September.
“I have high expectations for the performance, people will forget they are watching a local youth (dance) company,” Cooper said. “They are looking less and less like recreational dancers.”
He said the show has “grown massively,” featuring more than 200 costumes for the 39 dancers involved. In addition, they have added more productions pieces including a confetti cannon, snow machine, more backdrops and coordinated sword-fighting scenes on stage.
The backdrops for the show were rented from Kenmark Backdrops out of Kansas City. All of the costumes are handmade by Jeanne Cooper, Sherry Elmhorst and Lori Stephens.
This year will be the first that men will perform as dancers, all of which volunteered for the roles. In the past, the female dancers have played the male roles during the production. In addition to the dancers with the company, there are 10 volunteers from the community performing as well.
Dancers hail from Chanute, Humboldt, Le Roy, Colony, Yates Center and Iola. Lauren McDermiett is playing the role of Clara, Hayden Seabolt is the King, Zoie Stewart is the Sugar Plum Fairy and Mackenzie Weseloh is taking on the role of the Snow Queen. Cooper is filling in as Drossalmyer.
Cooper said the audience can expect a more refined and precise version of “The Nutcracker” this year. He said all of the lead dancers are going to be wearing pointed ballet toe shoes instead of flats, allowing them to execute more technical maneuvers.
Cooper, who has 15 years of experience dancing with the company, formerly known as South Street Dance Company, said the goal for the dancers is to give them a taste of what it is like to perform professionally.
“I want to give them a realistic flavor of what it is like,” Cooper said. “From here they can eventually move on to dance full-time with a company or to major in dance in college.”
The dancers in the company start at age six, and are as old as 17. In this year’s show, the dancers are as young as four. Cooper said all of them have worked hard to make the show better than it has ever been.
“We set the bar very high for them,” Cooper said. “They have all risen to the high level.”
He said “The Nutcracker” was sold out last year, so the Bowlus has added a second show to make up for the added interest this year.
Local troupe brings magic to stage with ‘Nutcracker’
