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By
ESTHER K. SMITH
News staff writer
December 13, 2006
Visions of sugarplum fairies danced in
the heads of audiences Saturday as students of the Columbia Gorge
Dance Academy performed “Scenes from The Nutcracker” on stage at Hood
River Middle School.
The two performances displayed the talent and hard work of more than
320 ballet students this year.
Claudia Von Flotow (in front) and Sara
Donahue
flank the Snow Queen (Sophia Maletz, center).
“Nine years ago there were about 50,”
said CGDA Ballet Director Nancy Clement. She and fellow ballet
instructor Theresa Mason joined forces to coax smiles and good form
out of scores of dancers, from age 4 to 18.
“This is a student production,” Clement said. “Anymore, there are many
versions of The Nutcracker. (Choreographer) James Canfield had his own
take on it; in the Balanchine version, Clara has a more prominent
role. People tweak it to suit themselves.”
Clement used to dance professionally with Ballet West, a ballet
company based in Salt Lake City, where she danced in more than 100
Nutcrackers a year. That production didn’t have opportunities for
younger dancers, except in the party scene.
“In Utah they don’t do all the levels,”
she said. “I created the baby mice and the petite angels and
snowflakes so that more children could be in the cast.”
Angels dance as Petite Angels watch in
the Land
of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
With all those dancers, it was necessary
to have two performances with two sets of lead dancers and ensembles.
Still, coveted parts are few and hopeful ballerinas many.
“One of the biggest things is auditioning for the part of Clara,”
Clement said. “Twenty-six tried out this year. It’s always a tough
choice — they can all do it beautifully. I have to send home a little
note reminding parents to stress to their children that only two get
chosen.”
She said that most years it works out that a few seniors stand out and
the lead parts just naturally fall to them. But last year there were
10 seniors, so it became necessary for them to audition for the roles.
This year there were only two seniors, Claudia Von Flotow and Sophia
Maletz, who shared the roles of the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum
Fairy.
“Sophie and Claudia had to be very patient,” Clement said. “Those 10
senior girls had all started ballet when they were 7 years old and
danced 10 years together. Now it was fun because Sophie and Claudia
got to dance all the roles that had been going to the seniors.”
Clara (Skye Windsor) pleads with her
mother, The Hostess (Theresa Mason), to stay up a little longer.
Both of the girls, like last year’s
seniors, have been dancing in The Nutcracker since it began nine years
ago. They have danced nearly every role, beginning with Baby Mice and
ending with Snow Queen/Sugar Plum Fairy.
Clement credits many people with the
production’s local success. Margaret Dallman created the snow scene
and worked with the Sugar Plum Fairies; scenery was designed by Janet
O’Rourke; costumes were sewn by Phyllis McGinnis; and lighting and
technical assistance came from Rachel Krummel and her high school
drama students. Not to mention the countless hours put in by parent
volunteers.
Clement said that many people have suggested that she start charging
admission, but she doesn’t think so.
“I don’t want it to be a money-maker — it’s a gift,” she said. “It’s a
gift to the community, a gift I want to share with my students. The
bonus is we get to raise money for Hospice of the Gorge and FISH food
bank.”
Clara meets the Snow Queen (Sophia
Maletz).
The ninth-annual fund-raiser raised
$2,014 for Hospice of the Gorge and many cans of food and $600 for
FISH food bank. |
