“Nutcracker Gifts of Christmas,” will be performed Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 2-3, by a troupe of 51 ballet dancers of Harmony School of Creative Arts.
“The Nutcracker Ballet” has been described as a German Romantic short story set to music by a Russian composer and brought to life on stage by a French choreographer. You could add that the late 19th Century piece has been popularized by New York City stagecraft since the 1940's and, now, by dance teachers in the Highland Lakes.
“Harmony school has been doing a version of 'The Nutcracker' for 16 years, but this is a new version of put in place last year,” said Pamela Dillard, the new director of dance at Harmony. “Dance mistress Jane Huber, Rebecca Carmack and Kristi Steere took the Nutcracker choreography and inserted the story of Christ’s birth.