SEASON OF THE ARTS
DANCE
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well-known by children everywhere.”
The St. Lucie Ballet School’s production of The Nutcracker is
presented by its performance company, Treasure Coast Youth
Ballet, a nonproÀt sister organization that raises funds for
scholarships and facilitates community outreach.
Dancers, who can be as young as 3, audition for the many
fun roles in the production. They come from the Treasure
Coast and Okeechobee for the chance to be part of the tradition.
They·ll share the stage with almost a halfdozen professionals
from Sarasota Ballet, Ballet Palm Beach and Minnesota
Ballet in four December performances.
It isn’t all about performance at St. Lucie Ballet, however.
“Students get a history lesson by learning original choreography
by ballet masters from the past such as Lev Ivanov,
Arthur Saint-Leon, Marius Petipa, and others,” Corrales said.
“This kind of education is very special and St. Lucie Ballet
takes pride in being able to pass on the 400-year-old tradition
of ballet to its students. It is very important for the classical
ballet dancer to know of its history, dances, and music. Some
dancers might go on to perform in a major ballet company
someday and must be familiar with this ballet.”
St. Lucie Ballet is a seriously ballet-based school in Port St.
Lucie, Corrales said. “All styles of dance have good ballet
training as their base. A great dancer must also be trained in
most styles of dance, as well.”
FLORIDA ARTS & DANCE CO.
For three performances at the Lyric Theatre in Stuart,
Florida Arts & Dance Co.’s Nutcracker is traditional, with its
lively activity, bright lights and energetic music. There’s one
special performance, however, geared toward an audience >>
Alicia Frazier dances the role
of Clara for Vero Classical
Ballet, dancing with the mice
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Barry Trammell is
Drosselmeyer in the
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Classical Ballet’s
The Nutcracker.