Dreams come true

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This article was published 21/12/2023 (935 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Six young dancers from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Professional Division have been counting the sleeps until Nutcracker returns tonight as a cherished holiday tradition.

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s annual festive production, choreographed by Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon, tells the tale of wide-eyed Clara, 12, who dreams of becoming a prima ballerina to dance with her handsome Nutcracker Prince.

The 124-minute story ballet, set in a Winnipeg mansion on Christmas Eve 1913, is quintessentially Canadian, including snow angels, games of shinny and iconic Hudson Bay Point blankets.

The family-friendly ballet is also child-powered. Approximately 40 students, plucked from the RWB School professional and recreational divisions, easily outnumber the 27 adult RWB company members.

They perform three lead youth roles of Young Clara, Julien, with whom she flirts and dances, and her younger brother Dieter, as well as “party kids,” Mounties, mice, polar bear cubs, reindeer and rosy-cheeked cherubs.

Nya Chapman and Ania Mackenzie, both 14, are both marking role debuts this year as Young Clara (most characters are multi-cast to cover Nutcracker’s extended run, which wraps up Dec. 30).

“Clara is really sweet and caring, and is excited about Christmastime,” Mackenzie says during a group interview at the downtown RWB studios. “She also has a shy and awkward side to her that comes out around Julien. But I think that’s what makes you love her even more.”

“She has magical dreams as well, and wants to become a beautiful ballerina,” Chapman chimes in, adding that the two Winnipeg-born dancers share that sentiment. Both began training at the school at the age of 11, and they continue to maintain a rigorous schedule of daily class and rehearsals, along with regular academic studies.

Professional Division artistic staff member Kendra Woo, a graduate of the RWB School professional program herself, recalls seeing her first Nutcracker at age seven. She made her own debut in the show’s inaugural cast of angels in 2007.

She currently serves as a liaison between the company, its two ballet masters and the school, coaching the students in both technique and artistry. The audition process began in earnest during the summer with 10 students aspiring to become Young Clara and Julien performing choreography for ballet master, Caroline Gruber. Six students were overjoyed to learn they had been cast in the coveted roles, with rehearsals kicking off in the summer. Dieter is cherry-picked directly from one of the Professional Division’s younger levels.

“It’s the greatest honour to be selected,” Woo says; she’s able to tap into her personal experience — including once portraying Dieter — to help prepare the students for the “big stage” where they dance alongside veteran company members.

Woo says her charges possess the laser focus, dedication and drive necessary for the gruelling and glorious world of classical ballet. Behavioural or motivational issues that can sometimes crop up when teaching teens aren’t even on the radar.

“The students are incredibly focused and incredibly disciplined,” she says. “They’re already going over their material every single day I walk into rehearsal, and have the mindset of that long-term goal they’re trying to reach as professional dancers. You have to decide incredibly early on that this is something that you want to do, and they all have this.”

While the ballet’s essence is about the magic of dreams, it’s also a gentle love story between Young Clara and Julien. The latter arrives at her family’s sumptuous Crescentwood mansion with his flamboyant great uncle Drosselmeier during the joyous Christmas Eve party scene.

Their exquisitely tender waltz is as sweet as a sugarplum. It also propels the narrative forward, as Young Clara falls asleep to dream of Drosselmeier whisking her adult self and the Prince to the Kingdom, with their fantastical journey capped by their enthralling grand pas de deux.

“Julien and Clara always see each other on Christmas, but now they realize they have a little bit of a crush on each other. They’re both embarrassed to be with each other,” Nathanial Williams, 15, says.

“He’s a little shy sometimes,” 14-year-old Tamati Graham, who also performs the role, agrees.

Another character that pops up early — literally — is Dieter. Brandishing a toy sword, the sibling makes a grand entrance by leaping out of an armoire to surprise his sister practising her ballet steps in her bedroom.

“He’s definitely mischievous,” Kaya Jackson, 12, says. “It reminds me of when I was younger and liked to annoy my sister.”

Deklyn Lemoine, also 12, likewise draws on familial experience, as the middle child in a full house of six siblings.

“Dieter is rambunctious and likes to have fun,” he says.

Despite the demands of a busy performance schedule with only a few days off, the six dancers are still able to carve out time for dreams of their own. They share what’s on their own “Dear Santa” wish list this year, from a dirt bike for Lemoine to new Nintendo games for Williams. Mackenzie would love a pair of specialized bodysuits that are every dancer’s dream, while Chapman keeps things more holistic: “I just want to spend time with my family,” she says.

However one wish is poignant.

“I dream of having my parents someday come and watch me dance,” says Graham, whose family lives in New Zealand. The naturally elegant dancer with lithe lines came to Winnipeg from Ashburn, Canterbury, after being awarded a prestigious scholarship to train at the school.

The distance preludes regular visits home, or even his parents making the long journey to see their son perform in a professional role as he realizes his dream to dance.

All the young dancers are already well-seasoned pros from performing in various school productions or regular company ballets, including The Sleeping Beauty.

“I just want people to be immersed in the ballet and not have to worry about daily stresses and things like that,” says Jackson.

“I would like the audience to feel the love that this family has for each other,” adds Chapman, while Mackenzie says, “I want everyone to be inspired and feel the Christmas spirit.”

“We all love being onstage, and can’t wait for opening night,” Lemoine says. “This is our life.”

holly.harris@shaw.ca