CENTRE WELLINGTON – Ballet Jörgen will be returning to the River Run Centre in Guelph on Dec. 20 and 21 with performances of The Nutcracker.
In early September, young dancers from Guelph and surrounding communities auditioned for a variety of roles.
In the end, 18 local dancers were selected, representing 10 different dance schools in Guelph, Fergus, Kitchener and Alliston.
One of these local dancers was Amelia Bauman, 10, from the Stage Presence School of Dance in Fergus.
“I’m really excited to come on stage again,” said Bauman.
This will be her second year being part of the Nutcracker and dancing competitively, but her third year dancing overall.
“To be on the big stage [last year] I felt like a really good ballerina, I was really excited,” she said.
Ballet Jörgen’s Nutcracker Youth Program provides young dancers with the opportunity to perform with a professional dance company and a valuable opportunity to experience the inner life and workings of a ballet company.
The young dancers, who are chosen from auditions, are given roles based on their age. Last year, Bauman was in the youngest group so she was given the role of the frog.
“I get to be on stage with the frogs too so it’ll be really cool to watch what I did last year,” she said.
Bauman is now in the older group of dancers and will be dancing the role of the chipmunk as well as the beaver.
“We have a first audition, and then if you make it through that one there’s a second one,” she explained.
She added that if you make it in, then you have a rehearsal that same day.
“This is a really good production,” said Bauman’s mother Bonnie Spears-Bauman. “It’s a really nice opportunity that they’re giving to these younger kids to get a little bit of a glimpse into what goes into producing a ballet and what goes into performing it because it’s not just a matter of showing up and dancing that night,” said Spears-Bauman.
In the spirit of seasonal giving, the community is invited to “share the magic” and support the work of Family and Children’s Services of Guelph and Wellington County by purchasing a ticket at the discounted price of $20.
Patrons can give a seat to a child or family who may otherwise be unable to watch the Nutcracker performance. The box office is able to assist those wanting to do so.
The River Run performances have all seats reserved. Adult tickets are $55/$50, senior tickets are $51/$46 and youth tickets are $38/$33. Premier seating costs are $78 and all prices include HST.
Tickets are on sale at the River Run Centre box office at: 519-763-3000 or 1-877-520-2408 or riverrun.ca.
