Continued from Page 8
Peterson added that there is a silver lin-
ing to the forced changes: the limitations
have worked well for the dancers and might
be kept in future years. Dancers range in
age from 7 to about 80.
“It’s a mixture of the young and the old.
It’s a family,” Peterson said. “A lot of the
adults have been with us for years.” The
dancer who portrays Drosselmeyer has been
with the production for about 30 years.
The dancers rehearsed in the Asto-
ria High School Auditorium, which has a
newly remodeled performance floor.
“We’re enjoying putting it together with
the challenges. It’s all working,” Peterson
added.
The challenges Peterson referred to
are primarily associated with maintaining
proper COVID-19 protocols while organiz-
ing a large-scale dancing production.
“Our priority is keeping the dancers
safe,” Peterson said.
A rigorous cleaning process was in place
every day. Temperature checks were given
to the cast and crew each day, and every-
thing was sanitized, including the dancer’s
shoes. All involved also donned face masks
for the entirety of the rehearsal period and
recorded performance.
Sixth grader Maddie Jo Dielman is danc-
ing in this year’s ballet. This is her fifth
year in the production. She’ll appear three
times, as a puppet in the party scene, a
snow flurry in the snowstorm dance and
“THERE’S MORE FOCUS
THAN EVER BEFORE
BECAUSE THEY JUST
WANT TO DO IT SO BADLY.
EVERYBODY WAS LOST
LAST YEAR WITHOUT IT.”
- Jeanne Peterson,
‘The Nutcracker’ Artistic Director
will dance in the “Waltz of the Flowers.”
The dancer said she’ll miss performing
in front of a live audience, but she’s excited
to be back.
“As long as I’m dancing I’m happy,”
Dielman said.
While an orchestra has traditionally per-
formed the music live for prior perfor-
mances, the plan is a little different this
year.The film’s director will edit the video
to the soundtrack from the Little Ballet The-
atre Orchestra’s 2019 performance. The vir-
tual version will use special effects to create
digital snow and place the dancers in a win-
tery snowstorm.
“It’ll be like a Hallmark movie,” Peter-
son laughed.
Favorite elements of past productions
from the ballet will still appear in the show,
like the growing tree which has new lights
on it.
“We couldn’t not do it this year after not
doing it last year,” she said. “We decided
whatever way we have to do it, we’ll do it.
The show must go on.”
Rehearsals for ‘The Nutcracker’ began in early October.
Akiko Miller
Dancers rehearse for the party scene in the Little Ballet Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker.’
Readers can use their mobile device to scan the code above and purchase tickets for the virtual
pre-recorded Little Ballet Theatre’s ‘The Nutcracker.’
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2021 // 9