Cousins Alexa MacDougall and Julianne Sigalet can’t seem to stop having visions of sugar plum fairies dancing in their heads. Grade 10 and 12 students at Kalamalka Secondary School, respectively, the girls are living every little, and older, girl’s dream –– dancing in the most famous Christmas ballet of them all, The Nutcracker.
About to go on stage for a five-performance run in Kelowna and Vernon, this year’s Nutcracker is the 20th annual presentation put on by the Canadian School of Ballet, where both cousins have been studying dance the past year. The production also features dancers from Ballet Kelowna, and an opening performance by the Alexandra Babbel Vocal Ensemble, also of Kelowna.
“It really is a Christmas tradition. Even when I was not in it, I watched the productions from when I was a young girl. I love it,” said MacDougall, who along with Sigalet, has been part of the valley production the past few years. “I’ve been a rat that whole time,” added MacDougall, explaining her costume consists of a head piece, with the mouse face and nose. “It’s not the most graceful role, but it is fun.”
Besides a rat, MacDougall is performing in two dances along with Sigalet, the Waltz of the Flowers and the Spanish dance. She is also in the Dance of the Snowflakes. A ballerina since she was three, MacDougall, who is now 15, is a former student of Deborah Banks at Vernon’s Okanagan School of Ballet, and is currently completing her advanced one ballet at the Canadian school, based in Kelowna.
Sigalet, who will also be in the Arabian dance, currently takes tap, jazz and contemporary at the Canadian school. She has studied with local instructors over the years, but confesses to be not as much of a fan dancing ballet as her cousin. However, she does love being in The Nutcracker. “Growing up, I saw it, so now to be in it is exciting. The people dancing in it are amazing,” she said.
Ballet Kelowna will be doing cameo roles including the Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier, the Rat King, as well as the Snow King and Queen and a pas de deux in the Spanish number. Kelowna dancers Shayla Hutton and Rowen Siemens will takes turns to play the role of Clara.
“They are really sweet dancers and have been in The Nutcracker forever. Both are really charismatic,” said Sigalet. “They’ve changed it so Clara does more dances. She is now part of the Snow Flake dance,” added MacDougall.
With graduation coming up, Sigalet says she hopes to pursue dance, and plans to go to Vancouver to study and eventually join a company and/or perform on cruise ships. MacDougall’s dream is to eventually dance with Britain’s Royal Ballet, which coincidently is also putting on The Nutcracker from London’s Covent Garden Opera House this season.
The Canadian School of Ballet production opens in the Kelowna Community Theatre this weekend, and comes to the Vernon Performing Arts Centre Friday, Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $31 each for adults, $24 for seniors (60-plus), $24 for students (13 to 18) and $22 for children (12 and under), available at the Ticket Seller box office, 549-7469, www.ticketseller.ca.
A magician with secrets, an enchanted gift, a battle with the Mouse King, a guiding angel and a visit through the Land of Snow to the Kingdom of Sweets: it must be the seasonal favourite, The Nutcracker.
The ballet draws on all the imagination and fantasy of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story of Christmas Eve, when young Clara creeps downstairs for one of her presents, but finds herself instead at the start of a night of magical adventures. The designs for this now classic production create the real world of the 19th-century – even when the Christmas tree magically grows and the toy soldiers come to life to fight the Mouse King!
The beautifully coloured imaginings of the fantasy Sugar Garden and its celebratory dances make a fabulous contrast – the Sugar Plum Fairy is just one of the delights you will discover here.
Tchaikovsky’s music is some of the most instantly memorable of all ballet, with a wealth of famous melodies. This is classical ballet at its most approachable and visually entrancing, with something for everyone to enjoy, from the youngest in the family to the oldest. It’s a present to unwrap yourself this Christmas for that bit of extra magic.