Ella Daly ’29
EE Staff Writer
Every year, when this time rolls around, It feels like magic in the air. With sugar plums dancing in ballerinas’ heads, the time we have all been dreaming of, has finally arrived. The Nutcracker is here, and many students here at Trumbull High are getting ready to audition and perform for this winter tradition.
This is a revolutionary piece, with music written and composed by the memorable Pyotr (pronounced Pe-ter) Tchaikovsky. This music is widely known throughout the world, and you would be surprised at how much of it you could actually know. Maybe this could be your year to watch this breathtaking performance on the stage this year.
Anna Lawrence, a 9th grader here at Trumbull high and a member of Rockwell Dance Center’s ballet company, has been doing this show since age 7, and this will be her eighth year. Her most memorable moments come from the dress rehearsals “seeing everyone in costume and all the pieces being put together”. This year, she is most looking forward to the snow scene, one of the most realistic and capturing scenes, pulling the audience into the world that is created on stage. “It is a beautiful thing,” she says. Rehearsals started on October 3rd, and at last the magic begins!
Another freshman here, Zoey Frechette, has been doing the nutcracker for eight years, as a part of Rockwell Dance Centers ballet company. She describes the show process as “rigorous” and “full of adrenaline”. If we dive in, we see the practices and rehearsals take a lot of time, starting in the month of September. Before that even starts, however, the auditions are the first step.
Frechette calls the audition “tense and stressful”. “Everyone is always trying to be their best,” she explains. The cast list usually comes out within a week after. The roles include leads Clara, Sugar Plum, Dew Drop, and Snow Queen (nicknamed “core four”). One of Frechette’s favorite roles was the time she got to dance Little Clara. It was a memorable moment, “[her] hair curled, the backstage anticipation, the gown…,” Zoey recalls. The costumes vary from nightgowns, ballroom dresses, rat costumes, pancake tutus, shimmering tiaras, and much more! Zoey is ready to take on this year’s performance!
The Nutcracker is more than just a show- it’s a timeless ballet that has captured the hearts of anyone who goes to see it. From its kick-off in the 19th century to its global popularity today, Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, and the Land of Sweets never fail to put us in our own magical world, where dreams really do come true.
This year’s performance at the Rockwell Dance Center takes place on December 13th. Hope to see you there!
Photo courtesy Rockwell Dance Center. 2020 Nutcracker Poster.