The Nutcracker with Ballet Etudes. Ballet Etudes did a beautiful job bringing this Christmas classic alive in their performance at the Chandler Center for the Arts. The Nutcracker is a traditional story about a young girl named Clara, and her incredible adventure into a magical land of fantasy, dance, enchanted toys, and a battle between the nutcracker hero and the Rat King.
Although the show is done running for this season, it will be back next year. I brought my 5, 9, and 10 year old daughters with me, and they did really well sitting through the show. Near the end of the last scene, my 9 year old really got a bit bored, but she just snuggled down in her seat and listened to the music. The intermission helped get some of the wiggles out, too.
It was a fun new experience for my kids to be introduced to a very professional ballet show. They didn’t understand why there was no talking, but once they got the idea, they were able to try and follow the story that was being told through dance. One more tip for parents: have an endless supply of lollipops on hand to help your kids both be quiet and still.
The young performers of Ballet Etudes brought charm and sparkle to the witty Nutcracker narrative. Clara’s godfather was delightfully mysterious, the little boys were mischievous, and the ballerina toys made my kids question if they were real people or toys! All of the company did a beautiful performance. I highly recommend making room in your schedule next year to see The Nutcracker.
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