Every December for the past 10 years, families have been heading to the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College for the yearly production of “The Nutcracker,” presented by the State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara.
You may even recognize some of the cast members as it’s the ballet company’s tradition of giving roles to local dance students.
“I think the more we tour, we really enjoy having community participation, and ‘Nutcracker’ really lends itself to that,” said Rodney Gustafson, company founder and artistic director. “It gives a chance for the community to be involved, and there are just a lot dances they can do. I just think that community participation is really cool for the parents to be able to come. And we enjoy working with the kids.”
The company will also be holding a class for local dancers before the final show Sunday on stage at the concert hall. Dancers ages 12 through 21 will have the opportunity to work with members of the company.
And for the second year, State Street will be joined by the San Juan Symphony, adding an additional layer of depth.
“Last year was our banner year in Durango; it was huge,” Gustafson said. “The (orchestra) really makes it a very special event because to have an orchestra in the pit and a ballet on stage in Durango, in a community that size is phenomenal.”
Having live music also challenges the dancers on stage.
“It’s also more exciting because you have to really be focused on paying attention to the tempo,” said dancer Leila Drake. “It really makes it a live performance – you have to go with whatever happens, every tempo they play you have to make it work. It adds an extra level of excitement.”
Those who attend the shows year after year will also sometimes notice that dancers will rotate through roles: One year, a dancer will be the Nutcracker, and the next, you’ll see him in a different role. That’s by design, Gustafson said.
“It keeps the dancers really inspired and fresh,” he said. “It’s a lot more work on our end, but I think it creates a lot of vibrancy to what they do and they just seem to really enjoy it.”
Durango isn’t the only town to get “The Nutcracker.” Along with the four performances here, they also perform five in Spokane, Washington, and then head back to their base in Santa Barbara, California.
“It’s exciting to work with different orchestras of different sizes, three different conductors,” Gustafson said. “It’s wonderful for us to work with live music.”
katie@durangoherald.com
If you go
What:
State Street Ballet of Santa Barbara’s “Nutcracker” featuring the San Juan Symphony.
When:
7:30 p.m. Dec. 9 and 10; 2 p.m. Dec. 10 and 11.
Where:
Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.
Tickets:
$26/$42. Available online at http://www.durangoconcerts.com, by phone at 247-7657.
Take a class
What:
Class with the State Street Ballet
When:
Noon-1:30 p.m. Sunday. Dancers should show up around 11:30 a.m. to fill out paperwork.
Where:
On stage at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.
More information:
Class is for dancers ages 12-21.
