SAN ANTONIO — The Children's Nutcracker is spicing things up this Christmas season and adding some new elements to its cherished production.
The Children's Ballet of San Antonio will tell the story of the Clara, the Nutcrackers, the Sugar Plum Fairy and their adventures through the Land of Sweets, all while showcasing the talents of young dancers of all ages.
This year, the production is adding a professional performance experience by including promising young adult dancers age 18 and up who are transitioning to a professional career. That division, called CBSA II, allows those professional artists to join the cast of dancers, singers, actors, and gymnasts.
The CBSA II professional training program was created by CBSA Director Vanessa Besslar to provide a crucial bridge to joining a professional company after high school.
The production will also include principal guest artists Aliaksandra Krukava and Nurlan Kinerbayev, both experts from the world-renowned Vaganova method of Russian Ballet. They will dance the famed roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker during the evening performances.
This year will also include aerial acrobatics for the first time.
The Children’s Nutcracker also allows special needs dancers to take to the stage, as well as provides opportunities for dancers as young as eight years old to perform in lead roles. As a nonprofit organization, CBSA offers complimentary performances to more than 3000 Title 1 and special needs children.
This year, the performance takes place over three shows December 8 and 9 at the Lila Cockrell Theatre. The experience includes a holiday market, pictures with Santa and key cast members, and holiday treats like hot cocoa and Christmas cookies.
And check out some performances from CBSA dancers in a recent visit to the KENS 5 studio: