The Suburban Times

A community bulletin board for Western Pierce County.

  • Home
  • To Know
  • To Do
  • To Ponder
  • Obituaries
  • Calendar
    • Submit an Event
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • More
    • Share your story
    • Submit an Event
    • Contact

The Nutcracker at Mount Tahoma

December 6, 2009 By Ben Sclair

Washington Contemporary Ballet, now in its 22nd season, will present four performances of The Nutcracker at Mt. Tahoma High School, featuring members of the Washington Contemporary Ballet Company and dancers from the Washington Contemporary Ballet School. (Friday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 pm; Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2 pm and 7 pm; and Sunday, Dec. 13 at 6 pm).

This year’s performances feature two young dancers in leading roles: Monika Davis, 14, as Clara, and Nathan Cook, 15, as the Nutcracker Prince.

Ms. Davis is a sophomore at (school) in Tacoma and has danced roles with Washington Contemporary Ballet in Midsummer’s Eve, Firebird Paquita Suite, and more. Mr. Cook, a (year) at (school) in Tacoma, is in his 12th year with Washington Contemporary Ballet, and has also been accepted to the Pacific Northwest Ballet Summer Intensive. In addition to ballet, both dancers study jazz, tap, and modern dance.

The cast features more than 60 dancers of all ages from throughout the South Sound. Choreography is by Kay Englert, founder of Washington Contemporary Ballet, with additional choreography by Angela Audorff, Stephanie Wood, and Ken Kaiser, and costumes by Lisa Bragg.

All performances take place in the Mt. Tacoma High School Auditorium, 4634 South 74th St, with ample free parking. General admission tickets are $15 prior to November 26, and $18 up until the day of performance and at the door. Group tickets are also available. For more information, please call 253.474.4312. Tickets are available at the door and online at www.wcbdance.org.

A perennial holiday favorite, The Nutcracker was first performed at the famed Maryinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 17, 1892, with choreography by Marius Petipa and a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky. The first full length production of The Nutcracker in the United States was performed on December 29, 1944, by the San Francisco Opera Ballet.

Based on a story by ETA Hoffman, The Nutcracker tells the tale of a young girl named Clara,

who is presented with a magical nutcracker doll by her Uncle Drosslmeier at a Christmas party. As the guests depart, Clara falls asleep only to be awakened by a battle in her living room between oversized mice and toy soldiers. Her beloved nutcracker becomes a prince, and he and Clara are taken by Uncle Drosselmeier to a magical Candyland where they are entertained by Cotton Candy Angels, Spanish Dancers, a fiery Russian dancer, whirling Marzipans, and a host of others. As Clara awakens, she realizes it has all been a wonderful dream, and falls fast asleep again beneath the family Christmas tree.

Washington Contemporary Ballet has been a staple in the Tacoma arts community for more than 20 years, providing the finest dance training and performance opportunities for young talent in the South Puget Sound region. Dancers range in age from three – 22, and exemplify the school’s mission to represent and promote the best the community has to offer through the artistic development and expression of dance. Classes include creative movement, pre-ballet, classical ballet (all levels), jazz, tap, and flamenco. Registration for spring semester classes is currently open; a schedule of classes is available at www.wcbdance.org, with a special introductory rate for new students.

Washington Contemporary Ballet Company

  • Alexa Bragg, soloist
  • Aubrey Cearley, apprentice
  • Nathan Cook, soloist
  • Monika Davis, soloist
  • KaSeana Dunn, corps de ballet
  • Linda Hickman, soloist
  • Brittany Link, principal
  • Bronica Link, Tacoma, apprentice
  • Libby McAvoy, principal
  • Payton Price, apprentice
  • Nicole Remy, soloist
  • Chloe Sabo, corps de ballet
  • Brenna Smelt, soloist
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)

Related

Top Stories

  • Nighttime Fifth Street NW closures in Puyallup
    Nighttime Fifth Street NW closures in Puyallup
  • Strozier seeks to retain appointed Tacoma School Board position
    Strozier seeks to retain appointed Tacoma School Board position
  • A Letter to Attorney General Bob Ferguson From the Tacoma City Council
    A Letter to Attorney General Bob Ferguson From the Tacoma City Council
  • Good-bye Black History Month - February 2021
    Good-bye Black History Month - February 2021
  • 70 new Pierce County COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths confirmed Mar. 5
    70 new Pierce County COVID-19 cases, 3 new deaths confirmed Mar. 5

Become a better informed citizen.

Join over 30,000 readers each month and get real-local news and information direct to your inbox, Monday-Saturday.


Recent Comments

  • Chris on Kimball achieves prestigious Top of the Table qualification
  • Mary on Kimball achieves prestigious Top of the Table qualification
  • Betty Phillips on Tacoma’s Woodards comments on new Office of Independent Investigations
  • nancy copeland on Permit filed for 22-unit multifamily development in Lakewood
  • Susanne Bacon on Across the Fence: It’s All Greek To Me

Contact Us

The Suburban Times
P.O. Box 39099
Lakewood, WA 98496

Ben Sclair, Publisher
253-312-1804

Stephen Neufeld, Marketing Executive
stephen@thesubtimes.com

Copyright © 2021 The Suburban Times • Log in • Privacy Policy

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.