"The Nutcracker" by Commonwealth Ballet keeps holiday tradition alive for all ages
WESTON - "The Nutcracker" isn't just a holiday tradition for audience, but for those on stage as well. In many companies, dancers perform the ballet every year, taking on different roles as they get older.
Growing up with "The Nutcracker"
Eighteen-year-old Cecilia Lapinski and 17-year-old Heather Lardizabal have been dancing since they were three years old.
They spent the past decade performing in The Nutcracker with Commonwealth Ballet, and are now teaching assistants, encouraging younger dancers.
"I kind of know what's going through their brains and how they're thinking and what they're thinking about too," Lardizabal said. "It's nice to see how excited they are for this and what's to come for them."
"It's really fun to see them really excited about their roles some of the same ones that we were our first year," Lapinski added.
The company's artistic director, Melenie Diarbekirian remembers when she was dancing The Nutcracker, and says working with the younger students is a full circle.
"I just love seeing the joy that they have and they get so excited to be able to learn all these roles and what costumes they get to wear, the makeup that they get to wear, the people that they get to dance alongside," Diarbekirian said.
Keeping ballet accessible
The Commonwealth Ballet is a non-profit youth pre-professional ballet company. This is their 33rd year of Nutcracker performances.
"It's really important for us, and it's part of our mission to make sure that we keep dance accessible for the community, particularly a Nutcracker production because there are so many companies that do it, and we always think of the bigger companies out there, but there's a lot of talent within these smaller communities," Diarbekirian said.
The dancers know that support from the community, as well as former members of the company, is key to their success.
"We all know each other, love each other and I think part of that is that the rehearsing hours and all of that go all together to make the performance," Lardizabal said.
"Just being able to perform the show for so many new people and returning audiences and seeing children seeing it for the first time and through their eyes is something that's really amazing, I think, every year and it never gets old," Lapinski added.
Diarbekirian agrees saying "Everyone needs a little magic, everyone needs a little happiness and joy, especially around the holiday season, where things can be so crazy and stressful to just know that you're going to come to the theater and sit for two hours and just breathe and watch everyone on stage do their magic."
Nutcracker ballet
Commonwealth Ballet has two weekends of performances, November 29 through December 1 and December 20 through the 22.
All shows are at Regis College in Weston.
