by Noella Noelophile®
A Christmas party. An enchanting gift from a kindly, but mysterious, godfather. A mischievous brother, wreaking havoc.
And a young girl’s magical dream.
That, in a nutshell (no pun intended!) is Tchaikovsky’s beloved ballet “The Nutcracker“.
And given how beautifully San Pedro City Ballet presented it virtually, amid our 2020 isolation, this year’s live shows are going to be even more breathtaking.
San Pedro City Ballet returns to the Warner Grand Theatre, December 10th through December 12th, for their annual performances of this Christmastime classic.
And amid the Russian and Chinese dances. whirling snowflakes and waltzing flowers, there’s an extra element of magic in this year’s shows.
Some of the dancers you’ll see onstage for the 2021 edition of The Nutcracker, are the children of some of the original company’s dancers!
Another generation discovers the magic
One such performer is four-year-old Scarlett, who will be appearing as a gumdrop in her very first Nutcracker.
“It’s very nostalgic being back as a parent,” said Scarlett’s mom, Erin Zimmerman, in a recent press release from SPCB.
“This is something I always dreamed of,” Erin continued, “but I didn’t want to push her into it. Some of her friends were doing The Nutcracker and so she wanted to.”
Another young dancer making her Nutcracker debut this year is four-year-old Brooklynn. Brooklynn’s mother, Michelle Papayans, says “If I hear the music, I get a lump in my throat. It’s a part of all of my holiday memories.”
A shared memory, for both Erin and Michelle, is the camaraderie they shared with the other SPCB dancers during their own long hours of rehearsal during their years of participation.
Giovanna Lauro, who now serves as a teacher at SPCB, shares similar good memories of dancing in the early days of San Pedro City Ballet.
“I honestly feel like I never left,” says Giovanna, who will be dancing in the party scene. Her daughters will be dancing in the show, as well.
“SPCB is like family. I wouldn’t have my children dancing anywhere else.”
And dance parent Natalia Dover says, “(It’s) amazing to have my daughter share passion for dance and to be under the direction of the same teacher.”
There are actually two teachers to whom Natalia is referring: San Pedro City Ballet co-founders and artistic directors Cindy and Patrick Bradley, who started nonprofit San Pedro City Ballet troupe in 1994. (In our 2020 interview, prior to last year’s live-streamed video performance, Cindy shared that story.) Annually, SPBC presents The Nutcracker, as well as producing original modern dance works for a variety of venues throughout Southern California.
“Having our former students’ children involved is the most heartwarming and fulfilling thing imaginable,” Cindy says.
Expect that warmth to spill over into this year’s Nutcracker performances. Nearly 150 dancers, ages 4 to adult, comprise the cast of the show. And there will be special effects and magic, along with the dance spectacle.
It seems pretty magical already.