As a ballet dancer, I’ve never auditioned for The Nutcracker. This is my first year being in The Nutcracker, and so far, it has been a pleasant experience. I don’t have a principal role, but it has been enjoyable, even as a part of the core.
I may be biased because I love ballet, but I have been to Nutcracker shows in the past, and they were all well-executed. The Twin Falls Ballet Company does The Nutcracker justice. Rayni, the person in charge of the TFBC, is a teacher at Cottage Dance Academy, so she has experience with ballet. She knows what she is doing, and I’ve never had any other ballerinas at my studio say anything about the Nutcracker in a bad light, only good.
Trying on costumes wasn’t too bad; however, the Waltz of the Flowers core did have trouble finding costumes that fit the few weeks before the performances. We did try on another costume on December 7th, and I didn’t have an issue with it. The costume that Rayni had me try on fit perfectly. The costumes we tried on a few weeks ago were beautiful, but they weren’t what my ballet teacher was going for, nor the correct sizes for some of the other ballerinas. I believe this costume will be a good fit for the Waltz of the Flowers.
The Nutcracker has been a staple in ballet culture, and I’m so glad that the Twin Falls Ballet Company is the one that is continuing the annual showings of The Nutcracker. It’s a great experience for young kids and adults and is more enjoyable when you go with more than just your intermediate family. I went with my grandparents, aunt, and parents a long time ago, and it was so much fun going with them.
The 2023 Nutcracker showings were December 19th, 20th, and 21st at CSI, and the shows went well. All the dancers involved worked hard to make this a good production, and the Twin Falls Ballet company did a great job hosting and making The Nutcracker happen.
