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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2016)
10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM The Little Ballet Theatre’s 42nd annual production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday ballet leaps to life Story by REBECCA SEDLAK Photos by DANNY MILLER ehearsals started Oct. 1, and area dancers from age 7 on up have been practicing for two months before the big weekend: three back-to-back performances of “The Nutcracker” at Astoria High School’s auditorium on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 and 4. “I love when it all comes together and you get to see them do it in their costumes for the fi rst time. It just takes up a whole notch,” says Maddox Dance Studio teacher Emily Gilbertson Madsen. “Once they get their costumes it makes it come to life.” Madsen, a Seaside High School grad who danced Clara herself way back when, is in her 12th year of choreographing scenes in the Little Ballet Theatre’s annual holiday production, including coaching this year’s KING MOUSE Patience Womack, senior at Astoria High School Other parts: Dance of the Snowfl akes, Arabian Coff ee, Waltz of the Flowers I’d say that King Mouse is my favorite. It’s a part I’ve always wanted since I was younger. A couple of the girls who played the King Mouse when I was younger were girls I looked up to when I was little. I was a baby mouse twice and a big mouse four times, and now it’s my senior year so it’s kind of like I’m top of the mice now. The dancing in it is fun because it’s a lot of leaps, which is what I like to do. THE SNOW PRINCESS Maia Mahoney, junior at Astoria High School Other parts: Puppet, Princess of the Kingdom, Russian Nougat, Waltz of the Flowers It’s fun being in a tutu — I know everybody says that, but it’s true. And having a solo is fun: It’s just you and you get to, like, express in your own way. Snow Princess is my favorite part. The dancing is a lot of stuff that I’ve done already, so picking it up was easy. Clara, danced by Anita Barbic. “I love bringing the Clara out of girls. I know what it means to put yourself in Clara’s shoes,” Madsen says. “It’s fun to come up with new choreography for each individual Clara. There are dancers that have stronger skills — someone has these legs that go ARABIAN VISION a Andrea Harris, sophomore, Astoria High School Other parts: Puppet, Snow Angel, Dance of the Snowfl akes, sho Dream Fairy, Russian Nougat, Waltz of the Flowers just a My favorite part is probably Arabian Vision or being a I Snowfl ake. I love Arabian Vision because I’ve always taken t tumbling classes, so it’s something that I’m like good at been and that I enjoy doing. And with the Dance of the Snow- who fl akes, it’s just all of us together, so it really looks like a big abou production that’s really beautiful. fac
