Four dancers from Wellington County will be taking to the stage this month to perform in the professional Ballet Jörgen Canada production of The Nutcracker.
The show is on at the River Run Centre in Guelph on Dec. 20 and 21.
Caroline Widdicombe
This year is 14-year-old Caroline Widdicombe’s third year performing in The Nutcracker.
But this is the first year she’ll be performing two roles, a dragonfly and a deer.
The Puslinch teen has been dancing since she was two, but The Nutcracker is her first professional experience.
“It’s really fun dancing with professional dancers,” Widdicombe said.
She added she has learned a lot about performance from The Nutcracker and the professional dancers.
“I don’t dance competitively, so I don’t perform as much. So I’ve learned that from them,” she said.
Hayley Watson
Fergus-Elora Academy of Dance student Hayley Watson, 13, has auditioned for The Nutcracker for three years and this is the first year she was given a role.
“I was auditioning for the fun of it and I didn’t really need to get a part, I just thought it would be cool if I did,” Watson said.
She was given the role of a squirrel.
“It was great,” Watson said. “I was so excited.”
Julia Williamson
Fellow Fergus-Elora School of Dance student Julia Williamson, 9, was also given a role this year.
“I wanted to be in The Nutcracker because I love ballet and dancing is my favourite thing to do,” Williamson said.
Having also auditioned last year for The Nutcracker, she said she was really excited when she found out she was would be dancing the role of a frog.
Skylar Nicholson
It is also Skylar Nicholson’s first time dancing in The Nutcracker.
The nine-year-old Erin dancer will be dancing as the bear cub in both performances and she said she was very excited to find out she had landed a role.
“I really want to meet the Sugar Plum (Fairy),” Nicholson said.
