The Everybody Can Dance Studio has educated fantastically trained and skilled dancers thanks to longtime owner and teacher Diane Zink for more than 20 years. The school has always provided a couple of public performances every year, including the favorite holiday production of The Nutcracker, which is a tradition of ballet programs across the globe.
Zink has seen many students come and go through her school and dance the various roles in The Nutcracker, which has parts for very young children to advanced ballerinas. The Santa Maria Civic Ballet—made up of volunteering Everybody Can Dance students and their families—started up as the demand for help in producing The Nutcracker grew, and more and more parents of Zink’s students wanted to join in and help make the productions special.
“The kids come to ballet classes, and the older ones decide—if they want to work seriously—to join the Civic Ballet and work extra hard,” Zink said. “And sometimes the kids volunteer and talk their parents into it.”
One such parent is father Ron Stewart, who, along with his wife and four kids, has participated in Nutcracker productions for more than 10 years. Stewart began studying dance at the school with his children and found he could fill many shoes for each year’s Nutcracker production, from ballet slippers to work boots.
“I just enjoyed it because it allowed me to have time with my kids; all four of our children have dance at the studio, and my wife used to teach there,” he said. “I also make the props; I build the sceneries and paint them; I build the ramps, and I built the castle in Snow White.”
There are plenty of roles in The Nutcracker for men and boys, such as the patriarch hosting the Christmas party (Dr. Stahlbaum) or the Nutcracker Prince. A younger dancer plays the young girl Clara, who famously receives the Nutcracker from her Uncle Drosselmeyer, and this year, Stewart’s youngest daughter Brooke is dancing the part. Stewart himself will be dancing the part of Drosselmeyer, which reminds Zink of when she played Clara as a young student dancer.
“I remember when I was Clara and my father played Heir Drosselmeyer,” she said. “There is a lot a father will do for their daughters, and dressing up and joining the party is a lot of fun.”
Across the years, dads like Stewart have helped in Nutcracker productions by providing dance partners for the more advanced ballerinas, which involves lifting, holding hands for pirouettes, and providing fall protection. Stewart’s son has also become involved, much like his father, providing support for dancers, whether they are his sisters or other students.
Everybody Can Dance and Zink provide education in the Vaganova discipline of ballet, which involves eight different grades of skill and is recognized across most ballet-loving countries. Stewart’s youngest daughter is currently a Level 2, and his eldest is a Level 8 Vaganova dancer. This distinction granted his daughter immediate work at a ballet academy in Poland, Stewart explained, because of the level of discipline and skill required reach the highest level of skill.
“Diane Zink is a very positive influence and a creative person who instills good discipline in the girls, and she gives them a chance to grow into being their own teachers,” he said. “To let the girls be empowered, just in case they want to become teachers or artistic directors, she gives them a chance to work at that.”
Taking part in a large stage production is an endeavor that requires more than a little concentration, which may come as a challenge to the younger performers who are new to the stage. Zink relies on the help of her advanced students to teach basic techniques to the youngsters while she may be working on something else. The Nutcracker is very demanding due to the number of group scenes and quick costumes changers, Zink explained.
“The party scene is one of my favorites, and you have to be really intelligent to do it, because I choreographed it like a party,” she said. “So you have to know exactly what you are doing and where you are, so you don’t smash into anyone else, and it really is fun seeing the children and parents getting into the spirit of the season.”
For parents like Stewart, the production is an annual opportunity to support and connect with his family in an exciting and meaningful way.
“It’s always fun because the girls have danced together for a long time, so it’s like an extended family, and we make each other laugh and have fun,” he said. “I’ve really enjoyed having my family there and sharing that with them. To be able to dance and be that close to your kids when they are doing something they love, it is very inspiring and it makes me very happy.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne is sure level 1 Vaganova students can dance circles around him. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 3, 2014.