José Mateo Ballet Theatre presents its 26th annual production of The Nutcracker in three Greater Boston locations, November 29-December 22, 2013. This Holiday season Mateo’s timeless classic returns to The Duxbury Performing Arts Center (November 29-Dec.1), the Company’s Sanctuary Theatre in Harvard Square, Cambridge (December 5-15), and The Strand Theater in Dorchester (December 20-22). Magical, thrilling, inspiring, and affordable, Mateo’s The Nutcracker creates memories that will last a lifetime. “Our original production of The Nutcracker may very well be New England’s longest running version of the holiday classic,” says Artistic Director Jose Mateo. “Following its premiere in 1988, the production quickly distinguished itself as one of the first versions anywhere to focus more on the dancing than on the caricatured mime, pomp, and special effects of many of its predecessors. In this year’s production, much to my delight, many of our professional dancers began their early stage careers dancing children’s roles in our own production. Three of our dancers have many times danced the role of Clara when they were students of our school’s Young Dancers Program.”
Choreographed by Artistic Director José Mateo, and inspired by Tchaikovsky’s glorious score, Mateo’s ‘Nutcracker’ brings Clara’s dream world to life with festive sets, sumptuous costumes, and spectacular dancing. Over 200 children, ages 6-18 from throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, join Ballet Theatre’s skilled company dancers as Party Children, Mice, Soldiers, Polichinelles, Cherubs, Angels and the lead child role of Clara. It is the only professional Nutcracker production in the area to hold open auditions for students outside of its own school. This year’s Nutcracker production features special guest artist Peter DiMuro in the role of Drosselmeyer. With a vast career as a performer and choreographer, Mr. DiMuro is the newly named Executive Director of The Dance Complex and has played the role with The Washington Ballet and Boston Ballet. The 2013 Nutcracker production also features six young dancers from the Greater Boston area dancing the lead child role of Clara, rotating the role in all three theaters throughout the performance run. Clara will be danced by: Ilona Demler (age 13) from Newton, Leila Dixon (age 14) from Roslindale, Anna Karayorgi (age 15) from Cambridge, Cecilia Zevallos (age 14) from Somerville, Amy Chan (age 13) from Cambridge, Sophia Delia (age13) from Duxbury.
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