Chloe Rippe
Reporter
To jump start the holiday cheer, the dancers of the New England Academy of Dance (NEAD) are perfecting what will be their 27th annual performance of The Nutcracker.
The show premieres on Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and shows again on Dec. 1 at 4 p.m., with a shorter story-time performance at 11 a.m. designed for young children. The final performance will occur on Dec 2 at 4 p.m.
Since September, the ballerinas have worked countless hours to provide this spectacle for children and adult attendees alike. Sophomore ballerina Alexa Orndahl believes the intense preparation will all be worth it once the show starts. “Auditions were a few weeks after school, but as soon as casting was up we began rehearsing,” Alexa said. “Once the show begins, all of our hard work will finally pay off.”
Each year, one of the biggest changes for the ballerinas participating in the show is the transition from “young ballerina” dances to the highly sought after lead roles. Alexa has experienced this first hand as she dances as the Snow Corpse and Rose dancer in this year’s show.
Ultimately, the ballerinas are excited to perform. “I love spending time with the girls in the company,” Alexa said. “I hope that doing what we all love to do pays off in the end.”
