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Ballet Theatre of Dover to perform ‘Nutcracker’ Dec. 8-9

November 26, 2018

The Ballet Theatre of Dover will perform “The Nutcracker” at 2 and 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 8, and 4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 9, in the theater at Dover High School on Route 8 in Dover.

Phoenix Riehl, age 16, will dance the dual roles of Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy, with Andre Texeira as the Nutcracker Prince and Cavalier. Riehl is an elegant and willowy 5-feet-9-inches, a tall dancer even by professional standards. With all the technical and stylistic demands of the dual role, it will be exciting to see a dancer of her height rise to the challenges the roles present.

At a party one Christmas Eve, Clara receives a Nutcracker doll that nobody wanted because of its ugliness. At midnight, to defend Clara against an army of rats, a battle ensues between the rats and the soldier dolls that came alive under the Christmas tree, led by a life-sized Nutcracker doll. After the battle scene, where Clara distracts the Rat King, allowing the Nutcracker soldier doll to run him through with his sword, Clara meets her Nutcracker soldier doll who has now been transformed into a handsome prince. She has broken the spell that kept him in the body of an ugly doll. A young girl has risked her life to save him.

In gratitude and love, he takes her on a journey to his kingdom through the land of snow. There, he is greeted by the candy canes and many residents of the Gingerbread House and a whole meadow of wildflowers, who celebrate the return of their Prince and the girl who saved him.

The Prince and Clara dance a beautiful pas de deux together, one of the highlights of the classical ballet repertoire. At the end, Clara wakes up in her chair in the drawing room. Was it all a dream or a glimpse into her future?

Other primary roles will be danced by Naya Gonzalez, Gracie Jordan, Emmie Huber, Hannah Nagyiski, Ryan Smallwood, Juliana Loux, Daijiah Cummings and Macy Mabus.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and students, and $12 for children ages 12 and under. To purchase tickets, call 302-734-9717. Tickets are available at the box office the day of the show

For more information, go to www.dancebtd.com.

 

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