The Nutcracker.... by Denison Dance Academy

If you missed last night's performance of 'The Nutcracker' at Kidd-Key Auditorium in Sherman, you missed something special for the Christmas season.
    The Denison Dance Academy has performed this ballet for the past two seasons...and it only gets better and better...

       Last nights performance is the second for the Kidd-Key Auditorium, as the other show was at Eisenhower Auditorium at Denison High School.. The lighting at Eisenhower was atrocious and was far from the quality of Kidd-Key and my photographs from Eisenhower are some of the poorest quality I have ever shot. Kidd-Key was made for this type of presentation and the lighting was very good.

     Denison Dance Academy Director Ilona Nogarr (lavender dress) played the part of Mrs Stahbaum, the Christmas Party Hostess and the maid is my daughter, Laura Lara. Here they prepare for the party by doing a little house cleaning.

    Laura, playing the part of the maid, has just passed out some drinks to the two grandmothers, played by Amy Heinen and Selina Stone (my wife), in the big blue dress. The premise of the play is the granny's get a little tipsy as the party goes on around them.

      The party gets going as more and more guests arrive...the dancing party girls are: Elizabeth, Kaya, Sarah, Julianne, Mackenzie, and Brooklyn. 

        Mikayla (my niece) played the part of Clara and performed flawlessly...Here dancing with the Nutcracker toy. She would get into a squabble with Fritz (played by my grandson Louie) resulting in the Nutcracker toy being broken.

       Several of the performers had multiple roles to play in the ballet...Here Mikayla joins Miranda Lamb in an Arabian Dance.

     They called it an Arabian Dance... I would have said Siamese if you had asked me, but nobody did.

     Here Megan McCullogh leads a herd of small lambs onto the stage... They are: Kira, Kadence, Sophia, Lola, Sheperd, Emily, and Mary..  A pretty flock if I ever saw one.

      After Herr Drosselmeyer (Rocky Massey) winds up the dolls with the magic key we are treated to a dance... The dolls are Tiffany Garner and Hannah Cornelison..

      

       When Mother Gegan (giant puppet) made her appearance onstage, she was accompanied by Abraham, Kira, Julianne, and Grey... I don't know how the tall broad was getting home, but hopefully somebody has a car with a sunroof.

     The Spanish dancers also made a showing at the party...Here Tiffany, Megan, and Miranda strut their stuff...

       The adult party-goers join the festivities... They are: Jake & Marquin, Louie & Hannah, Rocky and Ilona, Mike & Darcy, Clay & Itzel, and Hunter & Cadience.

       Here Clara (Mikayla) falls asleep on the sofa and is surrounded by mice... played by Hayden, Ashlyn, Sarah, Grey, Brooklyn, Mackenzie, Kadence, Julianne, Kaya, Annabelle, and Ann.

     The mice get into a battle with the Nutcracker (Hannah Cornelison) and the soldiers.. played by Cadience, Skyler, Hope, Sarah, and Lillian.

      Check the snowflakes... they are played by Miranda, Tiffany, Megan, Darcy, Cadiance, Hannah, Hope, and Lillian...(the little blonde on the far right is my granddaughter Lilly).

       Clara (Mikayla) is surrounded by little flowers... they are: Emmaline, Emmalee, Hope, Lillian, Sarah, Kaya, Elizabeth, and Skyler. (That's my Blondie on the far left side)

      Professional dancers Anton and Darli Iakovieva left a frozen over Connecticut to fly in for the performance. They are part of the Connecticut Ballet and both have extensive training in both Europe and the United States. Darli is the daughter of Denison Dance Academy Director Ilona Nogarr and we are treated when they join the local performances.

       The grand finale brought all the cast members to the stage again and flower bouquets were passed out. The Nutcracker performance was just the thing to get the Christmas spirit passed around. I hope it is a joyous Christmas for you and yours and may you be enriched with health and happiness all the days of your life. God Bless !!