‘Nutcracker 2019’ Claras selected

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, December 11, 2019

The tree is decorated, snow is forecast, and Clara is headed to the Kingdom of the Sweets.

Once again, beginning this weekend and continuing through Dec. 21, “The Nutcracker’s” ballet magic will cast its spell over the greater Dalton area. This enchanting production, set to Tchaikovsky’s 1892 score, heralds the start of the Christmas season and is a treasured tradition for many.

“The Nutcracker” ballet is the classic story of a young girl, Clara Stahlbaum, who enjoys a Christmas party with family and friends where her godfather, Drosselmeyer, presents her with a gift of a nutcracker. She then dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

After the Nutcracker Prince, Clara and their cute cavalry of soldiers defeat the Mouse King and his army of mischievous mice, they head, guided by cherubic angels and dancing snowflakes, through the beautiful Winter Forrest to the delicious Kingdom of Sweets. Once there, they are delighted by the spicy Spanish dancers, the pastoral Marzipan Shepherdesses and Lambs, the rambunctious Russian Candy Canes, the exotic Arabian dancers, the colorful Chinese Tea dancers, enormous Mother Ginger and her energetic Bon-Bons, and the lovely Waltz of the Flowers. The dream ends with an exquisite dance by the captivating Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

Dancing the role of Clara is the dream of many young dancers and requires much hard work and dedication. This year the coveted role will be performed by Caroline Fox (Dec. 13-14) and Lele Lama (Dec. 20-21). They are members of the Dalton Arts Project’s Dalton Dance Company II where they study ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary dance at the Dance Theatre of Dalton.

Fox, daughter of Bradley and Graham Fox, started dancing at the age of 3. She is a freshman at Dalton High School and has continued her dance training at the Joffrey Ballet School Summer Camp at the University of Georgia and the Weave Dance Company in Chattanooga. She also enjoys going to First Baptist Church, running track and spending time with friends and family.

She said, “Every year I’ve always looked up to Clara as a role model and now I get to fulfill my dream, hoping I can be a role model to the younger dancers. This year everyone has put in a ton of hard work and it will most definitely be a great show! I love being able to dance in ‘Nutcracker’ with all my dance friends who have become my family.”

Lama is the daughter of Susan and Juan Lama and attends Dalton High School as a ninth-grader. She has been dancing since the age of 18 months and in addition to her rigorous dance schedule at the Dance Theatre of Dalton, she trained in the summers with the Joffrey Ballet School and the Weave Dance Company.

She said, “When I was a little angel, I remember Clara coming up to my group and talking to us. She was this princess that everyone looked up to. She was kind, graceful, caring, and everyone wanted to be just like her. Ever since then I wanted to be Clara so I could inspire other little girls to work hard and accomplish their dreams like I did.

“‘Nutcracker’ is definitely the most magical time of the year. The ballet fills my heart with joy when the stage comes to life with all the beautiful movements and tiny details. I’m grateful that my dance friends and I can share our gifts of dance with our community.”

She also enjoys cheerleading, Cats Chorus, snow skiing and hunting.

“Nutcracker 2019,” presented by the Dalton Arts Project, will feature more than 350 local and guest performers for eight performances: Friday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 14, at 10:30 a.m., 2 pm and 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 21, at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The performances will be in the Dalton High School theater, 1500 Manly St.

Tickets are $13 to $18 and are on sale at 411 North Park Drive in Dalton. Bring one can of food for the local food bank and get $1 off your ticket price.

Title sponsors for “Nutcracker 2019” are Brown Printing, Shaw Industries, Textile Rubber and Chemical Co., Direct Packaging, Coldwell Banker, Box 1 and Engineered Floors.

Call the Dalton Arts Project at (706) 529-ARTS (2787) for tickets or more information.