The Western Ballet’s “Nutcracker” is a cherished community pride. Amid drizzling rain at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, the Dec. 14 performance of “Nutcracker” drew fans, friends and families of the ballet school. Children and adults full of joy, cheer and holiday spirit arrived in excitement and anticipation of a journey to the Land of the Sweets, a magical world filled with beloved characters of one of the most classic holiday traditions.
P.I. Tchaikovsky’s iconic score was choreographed by Yanis Pikieris, a Colombian-Venezuelan dancer and choreographer with a distinguished international career.
The “Nutcracker” holds a pivotal place in Western Ballet’s educational program, per Eileen Zubiria, instructor and president of the board of directors, “It serves as a ‘ladder of roles,’ with students progressing over the years, from elves and angels to the production’s principal characters. This progression fosters dedication, imagination and growth, making it a milestone for each student’s journey in ballet.” In addition, the production features strong community support by involving not only students but also families – parents, grandparents and siblings – to participate together on stage as characters, or off stage as tech or stage crews.
This season’s casting exemplified the school’s mission as a community institution to nurture talent at every level. A total of 140 performers of all ages participated in the production. Leading roles featured veteran artists as well as professional performers and aspiring young professionals. Alexi Zubiria and David Fonnegra shared the role of Drosselmeyer. High school seniors Margot Zelkha and Zoe Lin, as well as Maggie Zhang, a junior, and Nao Wegner, a sophomore, shared the leading role of Clara. Western Ballet’s Alison Share and guest artist Sakura Oka took the role of Sugarplum Fairy. High school seniors Nikita Berevoescu, Zoe Lin and Margot Zelkha took roles in “Snow Pas de Deux” and “Arabian Pas de Deux,” paired with guest artists Ihosvany Rodriguez and Jeriel Garcia.
Recent graduates Sarah Conover Hui and Polina Bortok returned from college to dance in the production. Sarah, who took the role of Dewdrop Fairy, is pursuing a BFA in ballet at the University of Utah, and Polina is majoring in chemical biology at UC Berkeley and dancing with the Ballet Company at Berkeley. Two of the featured performers, Juliann Forbes and Shannon Hearn, work in the Silicon Valley tech industry and have rekindled their passion for ballet in Western Ballet’s Open Program, enabling them to perform alongside the skilled Youth Company.
Stories of growth and success were cheerfully shared at the “Sweet Tea Party” after the show in the lobby, where performers greeted the audience in costumes, celebrating the love for ballet. The Youth Company were in particularly joyful spirit, hugging friends and family and snapping photos with their teachers. Indeed, what better way to celebrate an unforgettable performance than to embrace it in such a supportive and inclusive community?
Western Ballet, a non profit institution, was founded in 1976 to meet the needs of a local ballet dance school in Silicon Valley, with a mission of making the performing art of classical ballet accessible to the general public.
