Miranda Flack, Campus Carrier Entertainment Editor
The Berry College Dance Troupe has been busy since the beginning of the year with their involvement in “The Nutcracker” as well as their preparation for the Dance Concert.
“The Nutcracker” has been a community-wide project that has been rehearsing since August. Suzannah Forbes, a senior dance minor and the Nutcracker company manager explained who has been involved in the process since August.
“Berry College Dance Troupe worked in collaboration with Rome’s Own Music Ensembles (Inc.) and Rome Little Theatre to put together a community wide Nutcracker. Local, outside dance studios will also be featured such as Baird Ballet, The Dance Centre, and Rome Civic Ballet,” Forbes said.
Berry’s lecturer in dance and dance program director, Jeanne Schul, is the administrative director of “The Nutcracker.” Also, Berry’s dance instructor, Leslie Pearson, is the artistic director of the show.
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| Photos courtesy of Alan Storey Photography From top to bottom and left to right: Senior Payton Campbell plays the Mouse King, community member Caroline Fagan performs as the Sugar Plum Fairy and junior Stephen Stamps performs as the Nutcracker Prince with community member Mary Arden Carroll dancing Clara. |
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“The Nutcracker” will be told in its classic form.
“However, this show has so much community-wide involvement that there is a lot of creativity that has been put into it,” Forbes said. “The choreography for each character is very unique from other Nutcrackers audience members may have seen.”
“The Nutcracker” features many Berry students, including junior Stephen Stamps as the Nutcracker Prince and senior Payton Campbell as the Mouse King.
“The Nutcracker is a magical, romantic and festive way to kick off the Christmas season,” Forbes said. “Everyone should definitely come experience this. And not to mention that it’s a cultural event credit.”
“The Nutcracker” will be showing at the Rome City Auditorium at 601 Broad Street on Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 22 at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Tickets are $11 for students and can be purchased on the Rome Little Theatre website. There is more information on the Berry College Dance Troupe Facebook page.
Though the Dance Concert takes place in March, the Troupe has already been choreographing and auditioning for the show. A variety of Berry dance students from a choreography class, Dance 307, are choreographing pieces for the show along with a couple of professors.
The theme for the show is “Once Upon a Time,” which will include twists on classic fairytales or original fairytales from the student choreographers.
Auditions for the Dance Concert, which were open to all students, took place in early October. Students got to audition individually for each piece and the choreographers cast them.
“After auditions, choreographers rehearse one hour a week for seven weeks until adjudication. Adjudication is where each dance is reviewed to ensure that it reaches the level of artistry needed for our concert,” said senior manager of the Dance Troupe Emily Barton.
The storylines for the dances this year are all very unique and some will be familiar to students. For example, Barton is choreographing a piece on an original fairytale.
“My piece is a ballet pointe piece and is called ‘Lost in the Woods’. It’s about a maiden who becomes lost in the woods, and then meets evil forest nymphs and a prince,” Barton said.
This show features 44 different Berry students, who are freshman through seniors.
The Dance Concert will be in the Rome City Auditorium March 26 through 28 and more details will come as the show approaches.