Not only do audience members of all ages find themselves getting caught up in the holiday spirit during performances of “The Nutcracker” — so do the dancers.
With Napa Regional Dance Company’s 21st anniversary "Nutcracker" season approaching, its students are rehearsing every day. United in their resolve, they’re disciplining themselves to work harder than ever before to bring the enchantment of the holiday ballet to Napa audiences.
They’ve learned through prior experience that it takes enormous dedication and effort on their part to make onstage performances look easy as well as beautiful.
“As soon as September begins, we start our Saturday rehearsals, and we often work on choreography in class as well during the week,” said Maddie Chiu, a 15-year-old Vintage High School student, who dances the role of the Snow Queen in this year’s NRDC production.
People are also reading…
“The months of preparation show just how much work it takes to make the production as magical as it seems onstage,” Chiu continued. “The work that we put in is ultimately rewarded, especially in the moments where you wake up and realize, ‘Oh, I’m doing this!’ under the lights and costumes.”
“I think that’s the most gratifying part of it all — the feeling of euphoria you get as a performer when all the time and effort you’ve poured into the performance becomes a real, beautiful story.”
Chiu has been dancing at NRDC for nine years. At age 6, she attended a performance of “The Nutcracker” and when she saw some of her friends in it, she decided she wanted to dance, too — a decision she has never regretted.
She has performed numerous roles in “The Nutcracker,” since 2014 when she started off as a porcelain doll. She was cast in her first solo role as Clara in 2019 and has since performed in several other solo roles such as Marzipan and Christmas Doll, a role she is also dancing again this year.
“It’s been quite a progression. By the time you get to the upper levels, you basically know the entire ballet,” Chiu said. “I think that the passing down of characters and choreography is what makes 'Nutcracker' so fun and connects everyone at the studio. You’re following in the footsteps of people you really look up to, and then you get to share that joy with the people who come after you.”
This summer, Chiu attended the Boston Ballet School’s five-week summer dance program.
Sixteen-year-old Nicolas Halstead, a former NRDC student, joined a pre-professional ballet program with the Colorado Ballet after he attended a summer intensive there. Halstead is returning to Napa to perform in “The Nutcracker.”
“Nicolas was a student at Napa High School and continues to complete his high school education remotely while he expands his skills to become a professional dancer. Napa Regional provided his classical ballet education until he moved on to the program in Colorado,” said NRDC director Wanda McGill.
“Nicolas danced with us in last season’s 'Nutcracker' and chose to return this season to our school to support his former dancers and spend time in his home community,” McGill continued. “He will dance the role as the young prince with our local Sugar Plum this year.”
“I chose to join Colorado Ballet’s pre-professional program because I knew the intense hours and immense amount of practice would help me progress. By joining this program, I’ve learned so much about the male technique and different things that male dancers need to know or do in order to get to the next level,” Halstead said.
Though he is grateful to be in the Colorado program, Halstead relishes coming back to his hometown for the upcoming holiday performances.
“Although I was only in Napa for a week and I won’t be back again until Dec. 10, it definitely felt refreshing to come back to my home studio and see everyone that I used to dance with,” Halstead said. “Getting to show a little bit of what I learned and reconnecting with everyone I could was wonderful.”
Halstead is adding some twists to his role as Prince in his “The Nutcracker” performance.
“This year, I’ve changed up my role a little bit,” he said. “I’ve put parts of the Cavalier variation from different versions together and created my own variation of it.”
Seventeen-year-old Vintage High School student Sofia Wippern will be performing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy for NRDC again as she did last year, in addition to several other roles.
“I am incredibly excited to make some memories for my last 'Nutcracker,' and to have months of hard work pay off. I am so excited to perform 'The Nutcracker' with my studio family for the last time,” Wippern said.
“Napa Regional Dance Company has become a second home to me, and it’s hard to believe that this is my last year there — that this is my last 'Nutcracker' with the company,” Wippern said. “But I would not trade the experiences or the relationships that I have made there for anything.”
“I will always cherish the memories that I have made in the last 10 years at Napa Regional Dance Company,” she added. “I would not be where I am today, who I am today, without ballet, NRDC or my dance friends.”
Wippern spent a month and a half with Princeton Ballet in New Jersey after auditioning to be a part of their summer ballet intensive program.
“Maddie, Nicolas, and Sofia began ballet at a young age,” McGill said. “They stayed the course and were committed to the serious 10 years of training that it takes to develop proper ballet technique. They auditioned for these well-recognized pre-professional programs and were accepted.”
McGill is proud of her NRDC dance students and believes they are ready to delight audiences again this year with their performances in “The Nutcracker.”
Through this favorite holiday classic ballet, the audience can once again capture a link to childhood by entering Clara’s whimsical dream, which allows them to journey to the Land of Sweets, witness dancing dolls, mischievous mice, a brave Nutcracker, sword fights, snowflakes, flawless fairies and a gigantic Christmas tree.
Four performances of “The Nutcracker” will be held at Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center at Napa Valley College: Friday, Dec. 16 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2 p.m.
Brewed Napa will provide complimentary cookies and coffee treats at this season’s “The Nutcracker” performances.
Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite for $35-$55.