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Ask any of the performers at The Concert Ballet of Virginia, and they’ll tell you it’s not Tchaikovsky’s music or even the dancing that makes their production of “The Nutcracker” so special; it’s the passion of Artistic Director Scott Boyer and the family of performers he’s created.
“The Nutcracker” is what inspired Boyer to get into dancing in the first place. He was in his 20s when his roommate, a dancer with the Richmond Ballet, convinced him to play the role of protagonist Clara’s father in the holiday classic. “I got the bug — that was it,” Boyer recalls.
After that, he started taking dance lessons, and a few years later, in 1976, he helped establish The Concert Ballet of Virginia, a dance company for nonprofessionals. Today he’s like a father to his dancers, who come from studios all over the state for the chance to perform onstage.
High school junior Allie Davis has been dancing with The Concert Ballet of Virginia for nine years. She says being part of the company helped her overcome anxiety during adolescence.
“I had a rough few years in middle school, and anxiety was my biggest obstacle,” she recalls, “but I never felt that in the studio. Scott understood what I was going through. We’re a family.”
Davis, once mentored by older dancers, is now a mentor to others. She’s advanced over the years to the coveted “Nutcracker” role of the Snow Queen, among several other parts. “The girls who have gone on to college are like my sisters,” she says, “and the younger kids I love so much. They’re my favorite people.”
The youngest member of the production is 4-year-old Libbie Gonzales, who plays a mouse. Her 11-year-old sister, Emerie, is also in the show. Libbie and Emerie’s mother, Karen, is thrilled that her girls have the opportunity to dance together. “They practice all day Saturday and every Sunday afternoon,” she says. “It’s a lot of work, but they love it. They’ve learned so much and have come a long way.”
Another parent, Julia Cross, was part of the company in 1989 and has recently returned to the stage with her daughter Freya. “I haven’t danced since I was 19 years old, and it’s so much fun being up there again with my daughter,” Cross says. “The performers here aren’t getting paid but are doing it purely for the fun of it. One of the things I appreciate about ballet is you have to pull your weight and commit. We have to rely on one another. We’ve become like a sorority.”
For many of the 35 dancers in the company, “The Nutcracker” is a family affair. Many parents volunteer, helping to make the costumes and building sets.
“It’s wonderful to see parents finding their own hidden talents and getting creative,” Boyer says. “They don’t just drop off their kid and disappear. The whole family gets to take part together.”
Gonzales says “The Nutcracker” was a family tradition even before her daughters started dancing. “It’s that traditional Christmas ballet that gives me all the warm fuzzies. It’s just really, really special. If you watch the dance, it’s like reading the story.”
“The Nutcracker” ballet has enchanted audiences since it premiered in 1892 in St. Petersburg, Russia. In 1954, Russian-born dancer George Balanchine created new choreography for the New York City Ballet. While most American companies perform the Balanchine version today, each has a slightly different adaptation.
Concert Ballet of Virginia Artistic Director Scott Boyer (Photo by Jay Paul)
“I’ve seen about 20 variations over the years, and it’s fun to notice the little differences,” Boyer says. “Most of ‘The Nutcracker’ takes place in Clara’s dream, and we wanted to do things in terms of how a little girl would actually dream. So, in our show, the mother becomes the Sugarplum Fairy and the father becomes the Cavalier.”
Fittingly, Boyer plays the role of Clara’s father, just as he did in 1972; this time he also plays the Cavalier, dancing the famous pas de deux with the Sugarplum Fairy.
Scott says that for first-time dancers, “The Nutcracker” is an ideal entree into ballet and theater. “The choreography allows for a variety of parts, so you don’t have to be experienced,” he says. “The beauty of the show is that you can start as a mouse and one day become the Snow Queen.”
Or, in Boyer’s case, advance from Clara’s father to the Cavalier.
Boyer loves introducing young people to ballet just as much as he enjoys bringing in adults who have always wanted to try dancing. At 73, he’s the oldest performer this year, and he says that’s all the proof anyone should need: “It is never too late to start dancing,” he says. “It’s amazing what people can accomplish when they put their mind to it.”
Cross says it’s this kind of encouragement and passion that builds confidence among the dancers and keeps them coming back year after year. “Scott’s love for dance shines through in everything he does, and he passes that on to the next generation,” she says. “He gets everyone excited about ballet.”
The Concert Ballet of Virginia presents its production of “The Nutcracker” Dec. 11 and 12 at Monacan High School and Dec. 18 and 19 at Atlee High School.
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