Abbreviated ‘Nutcracker Suite’ Is Sure To Dazzle Newtown’s Holiday Festivalgoers;

Malenkee Ballet Co. Fields Dancers For Two Regional‘Nutcracker’ Performances

By John Voket

Don’t be surprised if you see a few little rats, a couple of toy soldiers or a sugarplum fairy flitting around Edmond Town Hall next weekend.

Performers and the director from the Newtown-based Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company will be supplying their talents for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, one of two different presentations of the timeless holiday classic the company is involved with this season. Jennifer Johnston, the Malenkee’s artistic director, and 19 of her students will present the abbreviated Suite as part of Newtown’s Holiday Festival on December 5 at 1 and 3 pm in the theater of Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street in Newtown.

Admission to the ballet is with a Holiday Festival ticket, or $5 for the ballet performance only. Ballet tickets can be purchased at the Edmond Town Hall box office the afternoon of the festival.

(See the story above for additional information about the 19th Annual Newtown Holiday Festival, a one-day presentation of activities and events that are suitable for all ages.)

The matinee performances, sponsored annually by Family Counseling Center (the beneficiary of the holiday festival), will be utilizing 10- to 15-year-old students of Ms Johnston’s from her Malenkee Ballet Repertoire Company, the official dance company of Newtown Centre of Classical Ballet.

Nine of the students from next weekend’s show will then travel to join nearly 200 other dancers who are performing the full two-hour-plus Nutcracker for Danbury Music Center. That full production is scheduled for the weekend of December 10-12 at Danbury High School.

While Ms Johnston is set to narrate the Newtown performance, she will be featured as an extra in the grand party scene during the Danbury run.

“The full production in Danbury will include students from age seven to eighteen,” Ms Johnston explained.

“Here in Newtown we’ll have a shortened version that runs about 45 minutes, and will include just some of the older students,” she added.

According to Ms Johnston, even some of the oldest students in the local performance have been under her instruction since they began their ballet careers. She took over the Centre for Classical Ballet from its former owner, Marsha Mark, about five years ago.

After studying under Ms Mark since the age of seven and then serving as the school’s assistant director, Ms Johnston is carrying on the tradition of ballet here in Newtown through her instruction of the Vaganova Technique.

The unique and particular styles of the Vaganova Technique became more popular with mainstream international audiences through the work of dancers like Rudolf Nureyev, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Natalia Makarova.

Agrippina Vaganova developed her method by combining soft and fluid moves from the French schools, with the steadiness, strength and endurance showcased through the difficult maneuvers of the Italian schools of ballet. Ms Johnston said she utilizes the Vaganova whole body method in her curriculum, and works to personalize the various dance movements in her performances based on the individual strengths of each of her students.

Ms Johnston said while the popular story of the Nutcracker remains the same year after year, each year showcases new elements of choreography, from the many group dances to the solo performances. During a recent run through in her studio, which is now located on the second floor of the Botsford fire station, she shouted out instructions or displayed the moves she wanted to see from her dancers.

On occasion she would mix in to the middle of a group, reinforcing the particular aspects of a step or a jump, while other situations saw her taking a performer aside to physically guide the dancer through particular aspects of a movement.

“We’re using a classic formula, but I like to make it special for each dancer because each has her own special qualities and talents,” Ms Johnston said.

While the intricacies of the dance moves may vary from year to year, her company depends on the familiar story line, as well as a variety of recycled costumes (which are this year being updated by Judie Johnston and Jacqui Agius), to bring audiences into the story.

For those unfamiliar with the Nutcracker ballet, the plot involves the Stalhbaums’ holiday party and the appearance of their mysterious Uncle Drosselmeier who arrives and entertains the guests with his array of mechanical dolls.

During the party, Drosselmeier surprises his niece Clara with a wondrous nutcracker, which raises the ire of her brother, Fritz, who desperately tries to take the new toy away. As the party draws to a close, Uncle Drosselmeier casts a spell on Clara that transports her to a wondrous world where toy soldiers go to battle with an army of rats, led by their Rat Queen.

As a dual between the Rat Queen and one of the soldiers comes to an end, the company’s magical tree begins to grow, transporting Clara and her nutcracker through the enchanted forest to the sugarplum palace, where the guests are treated to wonderful gifts of Spanish chocolate, Arabian coffee, Chinese fortune cookies, Russian tea and ribbon candy. Along the way, Ms Johnston’s costumed dancers play the roles of toy soldiers, rats, snowflakes and the many other characters they encounter.

While most of the cast members are local, several of the dancers travel from Bethel, Brookfield and New Fairfield to round out the compliment. Ms Johnston is serving as artistic director, narrator and choreographer.

The Holiday Festival performances of Nutcracker Suite will feature Patricia Culligan as Clara, Kelsey Cantore as Fritz, Nikia McFadden as Drosselmeier, Sasha Geerken as the soldier doll, and Tory Senete as the Nutcracker.

Partygoers include Lauren Bauer, Molly Brewer, Alexandra Hamar, Kirstie Macdonald, Ashley Mele and Mary Sirosky, while the mechanical dolls are played by Sarah Burke and Jackie Hoolehan.

The Rat Queen and Baby Rats are Jenn Agius, Ms Brewer, Ms Macdonald and Ms Mele, and the soldiers are played by Lauren Baer, Ms Hamar and Ms Siroky.

Meagan Brooks, Christine Collins and Mary Alice Upshur join other multi-role cast members as Snowflakes, Jen Tichon portrays Spanish Hot Chocolate. Jenn Agius is also being featured as Sugar Plum Fairy.

 Proceeds from the Newtown performance help underwrite programming at Family Counseling Center.

For more information about Newtown  Centre of Classical Ballet, or the Danbury performance of the full Nutcracker Ballet, call 426-9299.