One of ballet’s most beloved performances, The Nutcracker is a timeless tale of the magic of Christmas, as seen through the eyes of a child. The Sangre de Cristo School of Dance presents its 12th annual production of this holiday classic for the pleasure of the entire family December 1-4 at the Arts Center Theater.

Spiced with guest appearances by local actors, civic leaders and a Pueblo chorale group, the ballet is performed by students of the Sangre de Cristo School of Dance, many of whom have graduated to different roles throughout the years.

This year, the prestigious roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen will be shared by Anneliese Carlson and Rebecca VanDover. Carlson, a home-schooled student, is in her fifth year with the Sangre de Cristo School of Dance. VanDover is a six-year student of the School of Dance and a senior at Pueblo County High School.

Playing the role of Clara, whose magical world the audience enters, is Ellen Skay. She is a six-year student with the School of Dance and is a junior at South High School.  Grace Lobato, a junior at Centennial High School, dances the role of the Drew Drop Fairy, and shares the Snow Queen role with VanDover. Lobato, a previous Clara, is in her 13th year with the School of Dance. Herr Drosselmeyer, a character in the ballet with magical abilities, is played by real life magician Ed Groves, otherwise known as Pueblo’s own “The Incredible Mr. E.” The Nutcracker Prince is played by CSU-Pueblo student Torren Friberg.

The Snow King and Cavalier roles are danced by professional ballet dancer Josh Allenbach, 19, a graduate of Centennial High School and former student of the Sangre de Cristo School of Dance. Now a member of the Houston Ballet, this marks Allenbach’s first return to the Arts Center stage. He has trained with the San Antonio Ballet, and participated in summer intensives with the Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Rock School in Philadelphia, and the American Ballet Theatre.

The Arts Center is pleased to welcome the Bel Canto Choir, under the direction of Chris Reed, to the performance this year as accompaniment to the breathtaking snow scene in Act II. Completing the ensemble are the talented Sangre de Cristo Ballet residents and students from the School of Dance.

Mother Ginger

A highlight of every year’s production is the guest appearance of community members in the role of Mother Ginger in Act II. Mother Ginger represents a gingerbread house, from underneath whose voluminous skirts appear dancing gingerbread children. This year’s Mother Gingers are Debbie Rose (appearing in the Thursday, Dec. 1 performance at 7:30 pm), Angela Giron (Friday, Dec. 2, 7:30 pm), Florence Hunt (Saturday, Dec. 3, 2 pm), Sherri Baca (Saturday, Dec. 3, 7:30 pm), and Dr. Maggie Lopez (Sunday, Dec. 4, 2 pm).

The Story of the Nutcracker

Based on the original 1816 E. T. A. Hoffmann story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, SBT’s version reflects the ballet as it was first performed in 1892. It is set to the famous score by P. I. Tchaikovsky. The ballet begins with a Christmas Eve party at the Stahlbaum household in Germany. All the guests arrive and the magnificent tree is unveiled.

The merriment is interrupted by the arrival of the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer, a strange and wondrous inventor who is also an old family friend. Large wooden boxes are brought in containing three, life-sized mechanical dolls. After an incredible dance with the dolls, Clara begs her parents to keep them, but she is refused. Drosselmeyer comforts the little girl by giving her a Nutcracker doll instead. After a jealous brother breaks the Nutcracker, Drosselmeyer magically repairs it. As the evening grows late, Herr, Frau Stahlbaum and Drosselmeyer lead all the guests in one last dance before they depart.

Clara’s mother prepares her for bed, but Clara doesn’t want to sleep without her Nutcracker doll. She enters the living room to find her Nutcracker under the tree and falls asleep on the sofa. She starts to dream. In the dream the clock strikes midnight and a rustling sound awakens her. She finds herself surrounded by mice and becomes frightened. Drosselmeyer works his magic and Clara begins to shrink making the tree appear larger and larger. The Rat King (Leah Drummond) arrives to direct his army of mice. Magically, the Nutcracker comes to life and leads his army of toy soldiers into battle with the mice.           

The Rat King corners the Nutcracker and battles him one-on-one. Clara saves the Nutcracker when she throws her shoe at the Rat King, killing him. The mice carry away the body of their slain king. The Nutcracker is transformed into a Prince by Drosselmeyer.

Next, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince travel through an enchanted forest wonderland where they are welcomed by dancing snowflakes.

Outside the gates of the Kingdom of Sweets, angels are landing in the garden to watch their flowers grow. The Sugar Plum Fairy and the sweets are asleep, but a magic wand wakes them up and they greet the visitors. The Sugar Plum Fairy asks them to tell her their story. The Nutcracker Prince describes the daring battle with the Rat King and how Clara saved his life. He and Clara are then invited to sit and watch the customary dances of the kingdom: Spanish Chocolate, Arabian Coffee, Chinese Tea, French Mirlaton, Russian Blinchiki, Mother Ginger and her Candy Canes, and Clowns.

As a finale, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince perform a Grand Pas de Deux. All of the characters return to say good-bye to Clara. As her dream fades to darkness, Clara is left with a beautiful memory of her adventure and her beloved Nutcracker.

This year’s performances are sponsored by The Chamberlain Foundation. Tickets are $10. To purchase, call 719-295-7222, or visit the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, located at 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., Monday-Friday, 9 am – 5 pm, and Saturday, 9 am – 4 pm For more information, visit online at www.sangredecristoarts.org.

About the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center

The cultural hub of Southern Colorado, the Sangre de Cristo Arts Center gives visitors the tools to think and act creatively through a three building complex including seven galleries offering the best in historic and contemporary art by artists of local, regional and national renown. In addition the Arts Center offers the Buell Children’s Museum, recognized as the second-best for art by Child magazine, a 500-seat theater featuring a variety of performing arts programs, both local and national, and two gift shops. Over 100 fine arts, dance and leisure classes are available every quarter providing something unique to everyone from children to adults of all skill levels.

Admission to the Arts Center is $4 for adults and $3 for children and military. Admission includes the Buell Children’s Museum. Members of the Arts Center receive free admission. Galleries and Buell Children’s Museum are open Tuesday-Saturday 11a.m.-4p.m.; closed Mondays. Box office open Monday-Friday, 9a.m.-5p.m. and Saturday, 9a.m.-4p.m.For more information, please call 719-295-7200; stop by the Arts Center located at 210 N. Santa Fe Ave., just off of I-25, exit 98b, or visit online at www.sangredecristoarts.org.