A grand works of genius will always have an audience, and some are so beloved that they continue to pack theaters more than a century after they premier. Local dance studio Everybody Can Dance, also home of the Santa Maria Civic Ballet, is gearing up for the annual production of The Nutcracker on Nov. 24 and 25, featuring music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa.
Everybody Can Dance produces a couple of performances of The Nutcracker every year to celebrate the work and the holiday season. Repeating the same production provides a valuable experience for the young dancers studying at the studio.
“By performing the same pieces every year I think we get to remember and relive our best memories,” Everybody Can Dance studio director Diane Zink said. “But at the same time we get to find and discover new meanings.”
The students, Zink explained, get to play different parts throughout the years. There are sequences that include lots of youngsters or beginners, as well as parts for intermediate and advanced dancers. The part of Clara, for instance, is played by a different girl for each performance.
“I have a different girl dance each night so more kids get a chance to develop in the role,” she said, “Rather than having a star system for students, I have a student system for students.”
“That’s why it is called ‘Everybody Can Dance,’” she added, “because there is something in everybody’s soul and they should show and share that.”
Zink first started Everybody Can Dance in 1987 when she moved to Santa Maria and noticed the absence of a junior ballet company in town. She produced a production of The Nutcracker during her first year in business and has continued the tradition ever since. The annual production showcases her students’ skill in the Russian Vaganova ballet style that she teaches.
“I focus on classical ballet for their training, but once they do that they can adapt to any other style,” she said. “It’s very scientific and it develops very strong bodies. All the Russian dancers, gymnasts, and figure skaters use it.”
The annual production features, besides the student dancers, one or two guest dancers. This year will feature one guest dancer, Sayat Asatryan from Russia. Zink herself will also be performing the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy, with Asatryan as her partner.
“He is a fabulous partner,” said Zink, “The training he got in Russia is very helpful. He can teach the kids so much just when he comes in and performs with them. The girls who play Clara get to partner with him and they learn a lot by doing that.”
The choreography for the production, Zink explained, will be the original choreography by Marius Petipa, considered one of the greatest ballet choreographers of all time.
“The choreography we are doing is the original choreography by Marius Petipa who set the ballet to the music of Tchaikovsky,” she said, “so this is a historical performance.”
The plot of The Nutcracker is a fantasy tale of whimsy and fun. The young girl Clara is presented with Christmas gifts and toys before she goes to bed. As night falls, Clara jumps out of bed as her toys come to life and dance as she journeys through an enchanted forest and the land of sweets.
“We dance every note of the ballet,” said Zink. “I want to make sure the kids get the full art experience and know the whole ballet.”
The performance is a holiday family favorite. Taking place at the Clark Center for the Performing Arts in Arroyo Grande, all ages are welcome to enjoy the show.
“Children are so fascinated with the colors and the fact that there are kids on stage,” said Zink. “Even lap infants don’t seem to have a problem with it; we have never had a problem with crying.”
It isn’t long, Zink explained, before her students fall in love with The Nutcracker and can’t wait to dance in it every year. One adult student, she said, now comes with her daughter and husband, who all dance in the production.
“I like working with kids,” said Zink. “Kids sometimes don’t get enough really hard challenges. It is really fun to see them struggle with something as hard as this is and watch their true pride grow as they master skills.”
Zink’s own daughter is also a student at the studio who will be performing parts in the upcoming production.
“It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s a lot of fun,” she said. “It’s good for your body but it’s also good for your mind and soul. Once people do one show with us, they are hooked.”
Contact Arts Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Nov 22-29, 2012.
