‘The Nutcracker Ballet’ Returns to Dowd Theater

12/02/2014 

More than 300 dancers will bring four performances of the holiday classic “The Nutcracker Ballet” to SUNY Cortland’s Dowd Theater on Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7.

Students from the College’s Performing Arts Department will join young dancers from the Cortland Performing Arts Institute (PAI) under the direction of performing arts faculty members Kevin and Cynthia Halpin, who also serve as artistic directors of PAI. 

Performances will begin at 1 and 6 p.m. both days. Tickets will be available at the Dowd box office one hour before the show and also are on sale at The Bling Store located at 101 Main St. in Cortland.

The collaboration of young dancers from the community working with college performers began in 2004 when the Halpins choreographed and directed the first production of “The Nutcracker Ballet.” Presented biannually and featuring the classical ballet technique, this will be their fifth presentation of Tchaikovsky’s full-length production.

“College students push their skills as dancers and performers as well as discover their abilities as role models and mentors to the young dancers,” said Kevin Halpin, associate professor of performing arts.

“The community students have the unforgettable experience of working side by side with the young artists who are moving into the professional theater and dance worlds,” he said.  “The larger campus and Cortland communities have the privilege of seeing this beautiful holiday story brought to life in a full ballet that involves over 300 performers.”

The ballet premiered in Russia in 1892 and is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice,” written by E.T.A. Hoffman and revised by Alexander Dumas, with a score by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky. It gained popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s, and has become a staple of many ballet companies, especially during the Christmas season.

The performance follows the traditional story of young Clara’s magical Christmas Eve adventures with her gift from her Godfather Drosselmeyer: a nutcracker soldier.

SUNY Cortland’s husband and wife team has choreographed and directed as many as 50 people on stage at the same time, each year making changes and improvements based on the abilities of the cast and past successes. In addition to the many dancers, the production requires a crew of backstage and technical staff members as well as months of planning, scheduling and communicating.

For more information, call the Cortland PAI at 607-288-4343 or SUNY Cortland’s Performing Arts Department at 607-753-2811.