You know the holidays are near when “The Nutcracker” ballet comes to town. This tale of a prince and a fair young maiden has delighted generations of families.
Santa Fe College brings “The Nutcracker” to Starke 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at Bradford County High School, 582 N. Temple Avenue. Admission is $3 for adults; Bradford students and children under 5 are free. The performance is by Dance Alive National Ballet.
“Last year it was wonderful how excited the kids were who came to see the ballet,” said Kathryn Lehman, SF cultural programs coordinator. “We’re really thrilled to provide this opportunity again to the children of Bradford County and their families.”
The ballet’s tale is simple. When a young girl falls asleep on Christmas Eve she dreams that toy soldiers come to life and fight an army of fierce mice. After good triumphs over evil, she and the nutcracker prince are whisked away to the Land of Sweets.
There the Sugar Plum Fairy invites them to a party in the Candy Castle. The entertainment is colorful dancing to Spanish, Russian, Arabian and Mandarin kinds of music. There are gingerbread children who dance, flowers that waltz, and – at the end – the Sugar Plum Fairy and her partner who perform together.
The festivities end, morning arrives, and the young girl awakens at home from her dream. All is peaceful. What could be a more pleasant story for everyone in the family?
“The Nutcracker” is performed by Gainesville-based Dance Alive National Ballet. DANB is called “one of the most distinguished and creative ballet companies in the nation” by Arts on Tour, Florida’s State Touring Roster online.
One of DANB’s goals is to educate, inform and entertain children. It brings ballet to the general public and, through community outreach, to those who are disadvantaged.
“The Nutcracker” kicks off SF Bradford Fest, a celebration of the visual and performing arts in Bradford County.
Sponsors are Santa Fe College, Santa Fe College Foundation, and the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.
For more information, contact festival coordinator Kathryn Lehman at 352-395-5355.