Tanner Hutchinson has been dancing since she was two years old. Now she’s one of the stars of a holiday classic.
Tanner, a seventh-grader at Melvin H. Kreps Middle School in Hightstown, will be dancing the role of “Clara” in the Central New Jersey Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, at Villa Victoria in Ewing, and again at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11, at Carslake Community Center in Bordentown City.
The CNJBT is a company of young dancers from Trenton, Hamilton, East Windsor, Robbinsville, Hopewell, Princeton, Allentown, Florence, Bordentown and Columbus, New Jersey. The performers are ages 18 and under. This will be the CNJBT’s fifth production of the Nutcracker.
Tanner, of Hightstown, is the daughter of Lee and Ashley Hutchinson. She dances competitively and has attended summer intensives at the Rock School in Philadelphia, the American Ballet Theater in New York as was accepted to the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Program.
Dancing the role of the “Sugar Plum Fairy,” Alexa Angelucci is a senior from Florence, N.J. Erin Ryan will be dancing the role of “Snow Queen.” Erin is a senior at Bordentown High School.
The dancers have performed in previous productions by the CNJBT including “Stars and Stripes,” “Coppelia” and “Cinderella” and will be performing “Giselle” in the spring.
The three dancers will be competing at the Youth American Grand Prix in January along with Samantha MacFarlane of Bordentown, Mollie Ward of Princeton and Kayla Miller-Keister from Hamilton. Other area dancers include Madison VanWinkle, Anjela Olsen, Kelby Warner and Ashlynn and Caitlyn Yang.
Set at the home of Joseph Bonaparte on a snowy Christmas Eve, the ballet begins with the fabulous Christmas party of Clara’s family where she receives a Nutcracker from her mysterious Uncle Drosslemeyer. Her mischievous brother Fritz breaks the toy, which is bandaged by her uncle. Following the party, Clara falls asleep with her beloved Nutcracker by her side.
As the ballet continues, we follow the young girl’s dream journey through the Land of Sweets ruled by the beautiful Sugar Plum Fairy. Along the way, Clara rescues her Nutcracker Prince from the evil Rat Queen during an exciting battle between the mice and soldiers.
Clara and her Prince also travel through the snowy winter wonderland home of the Snow Queen and Snowflakes. The Snow Scene is beautiful as the dancers swirl around the stage as snowflakes gently fall around them.
Tickets can be purchased at the CNJBT in Bordentown or at the door for the Villa Victoria Show. Tickets are $20 for adult and $15 children 10 and under.
