For the fifth year in a row, B&F presents Slawomir Wozniak’s The Nutcracker, this time at the Orpheum Theater, in Downtown Phoenix.
The old fairy tale is presented in our show in a way that attracts children of today, brought up on cartoons. The battles between mice and toy soldiers, as well as Drosselmeyer’s mysterious transformation into the nine-foot tall Mouse King is fascinating even for the x-box generation. Ballet lovers will delight in the professional level dances of the snow flakes, flowers as well as soloist culminating in the Sugar Plum Fairy and her cavalier’s dance. The fast-paced and fun production is sure to delight audiences of all ages. The show will keep you hooked from the first minute of it till the end. We owe this staging of the 19th century classic to an original storyline, as well as modern choreography by Ballet and Friends’ Artistic Director, Slawomir Wozniak.
The Principal Dancer at the National Opera in Warsaw has originally choreographed this show for Theatr Wielki from Poznan, Poland, in 2006. The production was a huge success from the very beginning and it stayed in the company’s repertoire, being played often at Christmas time to this day. Phoenix audiences are fortunate to experience this unique production this year at one of our most beautiful venues, the Orpheum Theater in Downtown Phoenix. Our cast includes renowned professional dancers and entertainers from the US and abroad, as well as some of the most talented ballet students from the Valley. The professional level costumes reflect the era perfectly in the first act, and are unique for the second act. They are made by Oso Rojo Costumes based on designs by Irena Wozniak and Claudia Folts of tutu.com.
Ballet and Friends, the organization behind this production, is dedicated to help children in our community. Our dancers have presented an abridged version of the show at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital, as well as at the Children’s Center of Maricopa Integrated Health System for children whose illness prevent them from leaving the hospital. This year we are also partnered with AZ Dance’s Movement E-Motion, organization that provides instruction and performance opportunities for young adults with Down Syndrome, Autism or other physical challenges. We are continuing our long-standing relationship with the Marine Corps through their Toys for Tots program, by providing both toys and monetary donations.
By purchasing their tickets, audiences will be delighted by the show as well as assisting us in giving back to the community, supporting Toys for Tots, and contributing to numerous organizations dedicated to helping children.
