The last Stamford's Nutcracker (by Balanchine)

[Dale]

Here's the release regarding the final year the Stamford Center for the Arts will present George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. For people who like to go to SAB's workshop to see the dancers of the future, this is a great showcase. All the divertisments, except Dew Drop, are performed by SAB students.

Stamford Center for the Arts Presents

The FINAL YEAR of the Family Holiday Classic

George Balanchine’s The NutcrackerTM

Stamford, CT - Stamford Center for the Arts recruited over 80 enthusiastic youngsters and

some of the top talent from the dancing community to perform SCA’s finale of the long

withstanding tradition, George Balanchine’s The NutcrackerTM.

The show features stars from New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. This

season SCA has engaged, Julie Kent (Principal Dancer/American Ballet Theatre), Ashley

Bouder (Principal Dancer/New York City Ballet), Jose Manuel Carreño (Principal Dancer/

American Ballet Theatre), Damian Woetzel (Principal Dancer/New York City Ballet), Teresa

Reichlen (Soloist/New York City Ballet), and Monique Meunier to grace the Palace stage.

Each of these performers is critically and popularly acclaimed to be among the most renowned

performers in the dance world.

Stamford Center for the Arts’ spectacular production, with repetiteur Darla Hoover

staging the original Balanchine choreography, also features corps de ballet of pre-professional

dancers from the School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet.

There will be four performances scheduled over two weekends, December 8 & 9 and

December 15 & 16 at Stamford’s Palace Theatre (61 Atlantic Street). The first weekend (two

performances) Ashley Bouder will play the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy partnered with Jose

Manuel Carreño as Her Cavalier, plus Teresa Reichlen as Dewdrop.

Performances are:

Saturday December 8 at 5pm

Sunday December 9 at 12noon

The second weekend (two performances) Julie Kent will play the role of the Sugar Plum

Fairy partnered with Damian Woetzel as Her Cavalier, with Monique Meunier as Dewdrop.

Performances are:

Saturday December 15 at 12noon

Sunday December 16 at 12noon

The Balanchine Trust annually grants Stamford Center for the Arts the rights to produce

George Balanchine’s The NutcrackerTM, making SCA’s production the only one throughout

New England and one of only seven companies (including New York City Ballet’s production

at Lincoln Center) in the country permitted to re-create his original choreography.

The Stamford Symphony Orchestra will perform Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece LIVE with

guest conductor Enrique Carreón-Robledo. Enrique is a conductor of international critical and

popular acclaim, and has worked for a diversity of companies and orchestras throughout the

world.

George Balanchine’s The NutcrackerTM is sponsored by UBS with additional support

from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

Tickets, at $49-$54-$59 may be charged by phone with major credit cards by calling the

SCA Box Office at 203-325-4466 or on the website at www.scalive.org. Tickets may also be

purchased in person at the box offices of either the Palace Theatre or Rich Forum (307 Atlantic

Street) in downtown Stamford, CT. Both box offices are open Monday-Saturday from 10AM

to 6pm and Sunday 12PM-5PM.

For additional information (directions, parking, area restaurants and shopping) visit the

SCA website at www.scalive.org or call 203-325-4466.

[printscess]

It is a shame that it is the final season. It is a rite of passage that the advanced SAB students look forward to.

[Amy Reusch]

Wow!!!

Why is it the final year? It didn't seem to say in the press release...

Carol Sumner used to have some connection to the Palace... does this production have something to do with her?

[Dale]

Tickets haven't sold well the past few years, according to newspaper stories at the time it was announced this would be the final season.

[MJ]

The Stamford Center for the Arts has lost almost a million dollars in funding for next year's budget. So sad. Many talented dancers performed for the first time on the Palace Theater stage. Everyone in Stamford is appalled, but there is little that can be done. The production has been losing money for years.

Stamford is building global headquarters, Ritz hotels, and a Trump tower! Yet noone will come up with the cash to sponsor a few Ballet performances! The money for performing arts organizations tends to gravitate towards Manhattan.

[Mme. Hermine]

carol sumner is teaching in the city now, but i believe this is the production that she first presented there.