SVDA performs the ‘oldest’ version in the valley; Lana’s Dance Studio does show with a comic twist
Published in the December 9 – 22, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Photo by Jon Lance
Hannah Anderson and Josh Lance dance during one of last year’s performances of ‘The Nutcracker.’ The show concludes Dec. 11 and 12.
Every December, Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” brings audiences into the magic world of dancing sugar plum fairies, flowers and cookies. This month, South Valley families got treated to double the Christmas-time fun. Two different dance groups based in Morgan Hill enchanted audiences with action, romance, magic and surprises in the ballet.
Lana’s Dance Studio performers brought the show to life at the Gavilan College Theater Dec. 5 and 6. And the South Valley Dance Arts nonprofit group treated audiences to its version of the holiday hit also on Dec. 4 and 5 with additional upcoming performances at the Sobrato Theater 7 p.m. Friday Dec. 11 and 1 p.m. and 6 p.m Saturday Dec. 12.
Jodie Maguire, who dances the part of the young heroine Clara’s mother Mrs. Stahlbaum, said the SVDA’s “Nutcracker” is a full-length ballet production set in Edwardian times and celebrating the hopes of a new century.
“The great joy, decadence, and beauty of celebrating Christmas just prior to World War I,” she said. “The journey of Clara is delightful, yet there is a tinge of melancholy to Tchaikovsky’s music, as though a young girl is leaving behind the treasures of childhood as she journeys towards womanhood. It’s a last great celebration and confrontation of childish joys and fears.”
The SVDA performs the “oldest” “Nutcracker” in the valley, she said. In past years, it has won several choreography awards. This is the group’s 12th “Nutcracker.”
In the past few years many of SVDA’s student soloists who performed in “The Nutcracker” have gone on to professional ballet careers at Julliard, San Francisco Ballet and the Royal Ballet, so the audience gets to see professional level dancing right here in Morgan Hill, she said.
Megan Doyle and Mark Coulter dance during one of last year’s performances of ‘The Nutcracker,’ produced by South Valley Dance Arts.
Photo by Jon Lance
“Our ‘Nutcracker’ has all the traditional magical elements, and the only one in the South Bay to have them, including the growing Christmas tree and the 11-foot Mother Ginger,” she said. “We also have well-renowned and beloved actor Jayson Stebbins playing the role of Drosselmeyer. Our Rat King, Steaphen Fick, makes our battle scene epic and fierce. That’s to be expected since he literally wrote the book on European Martial Arts and Swordsmanship and directs the premiere European Martial Arts School in San Jose.”
There is a lot of joy surrounding the production of SVDA’s “Nutcracker,” she said. One of the group’s goals is to be truly entertaining, and to really bring its audience into the story.
“One of the biggest compliments we get each year is when people come back to see it again on the same weekend because they truly enjoyed it so much,” she said. “Many have said it is the most enjoyable ‘Nutcracker’ they have ever seen. So much love goes into every detail from costuming to choreography and it really shows. It is truly a team effort, a true collaborative of former professional dancers and visionary community members and artists.”
Maguire encourage families (especially those with young children) to come and experience the magic of “The Nutcracker” and make it an annual holiday tradition. The story has an ageless universal appeal and small children will delight in the color and spectacle, she said.
“The audience will appreciate the accessible telling of a story, the acting and dance that combines artistry, beauty with gorgeous costumes and beautiful sets,” she said. “Critical theater goers and ballet patrons will delight in the full two acts of a glorious production generally unseen outside of large metropolitan cities. The depth of talent and passion of performance will satisfy the most sophisticated critics.”
Lana Wright, the owner of Lana’s Dance Studio, described her dance group’s version of “The Nutcracker” as a fun family tradition that focuses on the comical side of the story’s characters.
“The twist to ours is that we want to continue with the tradition of ‘The Nutcracker’ but add a little bit more humor and that kind of thing where the audience feels that they’re part of it,” she said. “It’s good for all ages. We have a really funny maid. And our soldiers are super tiny and we make our rat fun for kids. We like to add lots of humor in the party scene. People have said in past years that they really enjoy it because its humorous and light-hearted.”
“The Nutcracker” has become a way for many South Valley residents to get away from the holiday shopping and start the Christmas season off with a few magical hours of entertainment that brings families together.
“Watching the kids and everybody in the show wholeheartedly feeling the excitement and joyful of Christmas,” Wright said. “It just makes the season what it’s suppose to be, about being together and being kind. It doesn’t have to be a gift of material needs but a gift of love and joy. Our kids are so into it and so prepared. The dancing is amazing.”
