For the past three years, the College Preparatory Dance Program has performed The Nutcracker at John Carroll.

The Nutcracker, a ballet dance in two acts, tells the story of a toy nutcracker who battles an evil Mouse King in order to defend a human girl.
Dance Program Director Laura Ward-Moran, said she feels The Nutcracker remains popular due to tradition.

“It evokes feelings of nostalgia. Watching The Nutcracker Ballet is a tradition many families incorporate into their holiday agendas. For a dancer, it is a rite of passage as they grow through various roles,” commented Mrs. Ward-Moran.

Doing a performance as big as The Nutcracker requires a lot of work for all of the dancers involved. More complex roles started rehearsing in June while every other role started rehearsals in September. Rehearsals were run every Saturday from 9 am to 3:30 pm.

Senior Rachel Griffin said, “We’ve had a lot of rehearsals since the beginning of the school year, and it’s helped us to bond as a team.”

Rachel said that The Nutcracker has been an amazing experience for her. “It helps me get closer with the other people in the program and gives me more opportunities to perform and dance.”

Rachel is one of the Dew Drop Fairies and the Rat King in the dance. She was selected for these roles based on her dance experience and skill level.

In regard to selecting the roles, Mrs. Ward-Moran said, “I always consider the seniors. I feel this is important as we are an educational institution first, so I want them to feel as though their last year at John Carroll is memorable, and they all appreciate having this opportunity to dance the ballet for many, what will be, one last time. I also have to consider talent and ability. Many of the roles are complex and take a certain level of technical acuity to dance the roles safely and precisely as they are intended.”

Since the dance is such a big part of the Dance Program in the first half of the year, it requires a lot of teamwork and coordination. There are many leadership roles and natural bonds formed throughout the process, especially during tech week. Throughout the ups and downs of the process, everyone has the same goal: to have a great performance.

The Nutcracker is being performed tonight at 7 pm and tomorrow (Saturday) at 1 pm and 7 pm.
Mrs. Ward-Moran said, “I would like the community to know how much this performance means to the students who participate in it. They do not always get seen as the dance program is not located in the main building. Many times their late evenings and long weekends of work go unnoticed. I want all to know how much it means to them when teachers and students wish them well for their show. They light up.”