Darien Arts Center Charms All Ages with “Scenes from the Nutcracker”
Traditional Holiday Show Revamped to Captivate Younger Children
“The Nutcracker” comes to life as the Darien Arts Center’s (arts.darien.org) dance companies join together to enchant audiences of all ages at their annual production, “Scenes from the Nutcracker”. This Tchaikovsky holiday classic is abbreviated to an hour-long narrated show, specifically geared for young audiences. Children sit up close and are invited to meet and greet the characters after the performance.
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The show, a Darien favorite since 2002, provides an appealing introduction to attending dance performances for the younger set. “’The Nutcracker’ was written for children,” says DAC Dance Director and show choreographer Bonnie Gombos, “It’s a fabulous adventure that also exposes audiences to different kinds of dancing and it’s a great opportunity to spark an interest in dance. The original version is just a bit long for little ones, so we’ve adapted ‘Scenes from the Nutcracker’ keeping them in mind.”
This year’s production features new dances, characters and colorful costumes, guaranteed to delight all audience members. Darienite and actor, Geoff Gilbert, stars as the Narrator, a role created to move the story along quickly to accommodate the attention span of the youthful audiences. Current DAC Ballet student, Anna Camp performs as Clara, who receives a magical Nutcracker doll for Christmas, and Neeta Maniar, Juliette Dixon and Hanna Kahlert share the role of The Sugar Plum Fairy. The dances consist of members from the Dance department’s Junior, Senior and Adult companies.
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Performances will be held at the DAC Weatherstone Studio at 2 Renshaw Road, behind Town Hall. Show times are Friday, December 13th at 6pm, Saturday, December 14th at 11am, 2pm and 5pm, and Sunday, December 15th at 12pm and 3pm. Tickets are $10, with one free adult per child. Reservations are highly recommended, as performances sell out quickly for this popular annual tradition. Call the DAC box office 655-5414, or email Bonnie@darienarts.org for reservations.
Founded in 1975, the Darien Arts Center (DAC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing visual and performing arts programs and events for the community. The DAC offers educational programs in Dance, Visual Arts, Music & Theatre, & special events & live theatre performances by DAC Stage. Private donations, grants, tuition fees & ticket sales fund the DAC, which is located at 2 Renshaw Road, behind the Town Hall. For further information, call (203) 655-8683 or visit arts.darien.org.
