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The Nutcracker in Wilmington NC | Full Length
Nutcracker Production The Wilmington Ballet Company was formed in 1999 to locally produce professional caliber ballets, to involve area youth intrinsically in these productions, to raise the standards for dance regionally, to attract college and professional dancers to the Wilmington, NC area, to collaborate with other leading youth performing art groups, to bring the charitable community together with the arts, to provide scholarships to underprivileged children for dance, to enhance local education with outreach programs, to be an innovator in Wilmington and Southeastern NC in the art of dance, and to reach new audiences with ballet and performing arts. About Us The Wilmington Ballet Company opened in 1999 as a band of community leaders and an executive director with a vision. In 2000, the premier performance of Cinderella opened at Thalian Hall. At that time, there were rented drops, borrowed costumes, 25 young dancers, and a dream. Over the next 8 years, the organization produced seven new full-length ballets and methodically built an inventory of costumes and sets. In 2008, all of those pieces were converted to become the first Nutcracker produced by the non-profit organization. The theater was sold out and a Wilmington Tradition began. In 2008, a 25 year Wilmington Tradition , the Cape Fear Festival of Trees, shut down. In 2011, the ballet company joined forces with Minnie Evans Performing Arts Center, Ashley High School Complex, Lower Cape Fear Hospice, and The Star News to create a Holiday Extravaganza, which re-invents the festival of trees. This enormous holiday event includes the Nutcracker, Cape Fear Festival of Trees, a 5k race, A Celebration food festival, a kids' village, a holiday boutique, and a room of remembrance. The Wilmington Ballet Company has also collaborated with the Wilmington Symphony, The Wilmington Youth Symphony, The Watson School of Education UNCW, The Cultural Arts Dept of UNCW, The Children's Museum, Cameron Art Museum, Stage Works Youth Drama Group, The Chinese American Association, The Mexican American Association, Traditional Hawaiian Group, Puppeteers of America, Duke University African Dance, The Azalea Festival, and many more in order to bring innovative Ballet & Dance works to Wilmington, NC The Company has also provided scholarships for numerous students. Dara Holmes is the most renowned of those students. She grew up in Jervay Housing Projects, lost her mother at 12 years old, and at 19 years old was awarded a full contract with the internationally renowned Joffrey Ballet. Company dancers have been awarded scholarships at the best schools up and down the east coast including: Kirov Academy, Harid Academy, American Ballet Theater, School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, NC Dance Theater, UNCSA, and many more. The Company is the only area ballet organization to ever produce winners in the prestigious Youth American Grand Prix competition (www.yagp.org). The organization has had three dancers to place in the competition.
The Nutcracker Ballet Wilmington NC | For Ticket Info Call 910-794-9590 |
The Nutcracker Will Be Held At The Minnie Evans Performing Arts
Center, See The Map Above For
Directions
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Scenes From The Nutcracker Ballet Being
Performed in Wilmington NC by The Wilmington School of
Ballet
Act 1
Scene 1: The Silberhaus Home
It is Christmas Eve. Family and friends have gathered in the parlor to decorate the beautiful Christmas tree in
preparation for the night's festivities. Once the tree is finished, the younger children are sent for. The children
stand in awe of the tree sparkling with candles and decorations.
The festivities begin. A march is played. Presents are given out to the children. Suddenly, as the owl-topped clock strikes eight, a mysterious figure enters the room. It is Herr Drosselmeyer, a local councilman, magician, and Clara and Fritz's godfather. He is also a talented toymaker who has brought with him gifts for the children, including four lifelike dolls who dance to the delight of all. Drosselmeyer then has the precious dolls put away for safekeeping.
Clara and Fritz are sad to see the dolls taken away, but Drosselmeyer has yet another toy for them: a wooden nutcracker carved in the shape of a little man, used for cracking hazelnuts. The other children ignore it, but Clara immediately takes a liking to it. Fritz, however, purposely breaks the toy. Clara is heartbroken.
During the night, after everyone else has gone to bed, Clara returns to the parlor to check on her beloved nutcracker. As she reaches the little bed, the clock strikes midnight and she looks up to see Drosselmeyer perched atop the clock in place of the owl. Suddenly, mice begin to fill the room and the Christmas tree begins to grow to dizzying heights. The Nutcracker also grows to life-size. Clara finds herself in the midst of a battle between an army of Gingerbread man soldiers and the mice, led by the Mouse King. The mice begin to eat the gingerbread soldiers.
The Nutcracker appears to lead the gingerbread soldiers, who are joined by tin soldiers and dolls who serve as doctors to carry away the wounded. As the Mouse King advances on the still-wounded Nutcracker, Clara throws her slipper at him, distracting him long enough for the Nutcracker to stab him.
Scene 2: A Pine Forest
The mice retreat and the Nutcracker is transformed into a handsome Prince. He leads Clara through the moonlit night to a pine forest in which the snowflakes dance around them.
Act II
Scene 1: The Land of Sweets
Clara and the Prince travel in a nutshell boat pulled by dolphins to the beautiful Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Prince's place until his return. The Prince recounts for the Sugar Plum Fairy how he had been saved by Clara from the Mouse King and had been transformed back into a Prince.
In honor of the young heroine, a celebration of sweets from around the world is produced: chocolate from Spain, coffee from Arabia, and tea from China all dance for their amusement; candy canes from Russia; Danish shepherdesses perform on their flutes; Mother Gigogne has her children emerge from under her enormous skirt to dance; a string of beautiful flowers perform a waltz. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a dance.
A final waltz is performed by all the sweets, after which Clara and the Prince are crowned rulers of The Land of Sweets forever and are shown the riches of their kingdom domed with an enormous beehive.
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The Wilmington Ballet Society Guild
Opportunity for Wilmington, NC to partner with North Carolina Dance Theatre
Who: North Carolina Dance Theatre and The Wilmington Ballet Company
What: New "Wilmington Ballet Society Guild" forming and seeking members to develop partnership with NCDT
When: Cape Fear Festival of Trees & The Nutcracker Ballet (November 24th - December 2nd) will host the grand opening membership drive
Where: Cape Fear Festival of Trees is held at the Cameron Art Museum & The Full Length Nutcracker Ballet is performed at the Minnie Evans Performing Arts Center
Contact: Elizabeth Hester 910-794-9590 wilmingtonballet@hotmail.com
The Wilmington Ballet Company announces the grand opening of "The Wilmington Ballet Society Guild". The principle purpose of the guild is to create a lasting partnership between our regions premier non-profit ballet company and the state's oldest professional ballet company. The North Carolina Dance Theatre is nationally recognized as a leader and innovator in professional dance.
Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux of NCDT has proposed a regular touring season that would combine their 2nd company professionals with Wilmington's local talent. The resulting performances would create an unprecedented dance experience for the Cape Fear Region. The partnership would focus on benefitting a broad audience by building on the foundational work and community ties of the Wilmington Ballet Company (founded 1999).
The guild hopes to build upon historic relationships the Wilmington Ballet Company has in the community with other arts organizations such as Cameron Art Museum, The Wilmington Symphony, Minnie Evans Performing Arts Center, and New Hanover County Public Schools. School Outreach will be a vital element of the partnership. Our intention is to grow the program to benefit both New Hanover County students and those in surrounding rural counties.
The initial goal would be a two performance season. Nutcracker 2013 and a spring showcase 2014 would constitute the initial debut. The Guild's grand-opening kick-off will occur at Cameron Art Museum on November 24th at 11 am. Our first public membership drive will be held during the 2012 Nutcracker and Cape Fear Festival of Trees.
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In addition to remarkable performances and educational outreach,
the Guild also promises it's participants a personal inside ballet experience. Private VIP showings, events with
the dancers, and Society lectures are all a part of the initial planning. Help us get
the word out to the community about this remarkable opportunity for the arts in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Tickets are on Sale NOW for Wilmington's ONLY Professional Full-Length Nutcracker Ballet Production | 910-794-9590
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