Balletcenter Presents The Nutcracker

Under co-artistic directors Nicolas Pacaña & Gregory, Balletcenter has presented Philippine premiers of Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Beauty and the Beast and Carmina Burana. During the last two summers, Balletcenter also hosted students from across the Visayas and Mindanao for its International Summer Series.   This year, they are bringing Atlanta Festival Ballet’s version of the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker” to Cebu. This production has toured across the southeastern United States. Partnerships with cities and schools at the grass roots level has offered the opportunity for hundreds of children to experience dancing in a classical ballet as well as enabling school children the opportunity to view a ballet for the first time. 

“The Nutcracker” tells the story of Clara who falls asleep after a big party and then starts to discover strange things happening, with all the toys around the Christmas tree coming to life, including her beloved nutcracker doll, which was a gift from her Godfather, Drosselmeyer. Clara is taken to an adventure where the Nutcracker leads his army of toy soldiers into battle with the Mouse King, and then to the Land of the Snow where the Nutcracker turns into a Prince and they were both welcomed by dancing snowflakes, and finally to the land of the Sweets where Clara and the Prince are greeted by the Sugarplum Fairy. The Prince tells the story of his battle with the mice and she rewards them with a celebration of different dances which is culminated by a dance with the Sugarplum Fairy & the Cavalier. Clara awakens from her dream and finds herself beside the Christmas tree with her beloved Nutcracker.

Arisa Onozawa will play the role of Clara, Drosselmeyer/Cavalier will be played by Nicolas Pacaña, Mark Grantos will play the Nutcracker Prince, Maila Habagat will play the Sugarplum Fairy, Linda Rivera as Snow Queen, Kristina Belleza as Dewdrop Fairy, Christine Morden & Rollaine Nuez dancing Mirliton soloist & Arabian pas de deux with Jeffrey Tapang, Marifel Villamor, Zor Delgado, Rey Allen Espinosa, Timtam Estrada, Rarry Abatol & GV Declaro will dance Spanish, Chinese & Russian; and alternating the role of Fritz are Gieril Respecia and Alec Cosep. “The Nutcracker” will surely enchant and captivate the audience this Christmas season! Come and watch “The Nutcracker” on December 20 (Saturday) and December 21 (Sunday) at 6:30 pm at Onstage Cebu, Ayala Cinema 1, Ayala Center Cebu. Tickets are available for sale at Balletcenter. Ticket priced at 400 (reserved seats), 200 & 100. For more information, pls. call at 232-2958.