A holiday tradition
COEUR d'ALENE — Next month, "The Nutcracker" will celebrate 11 years of bringing the music and magic of the holiday season to Coeur d'Alene.
And dancer Shayla Griff, 17, has been part of that magic since it began.
“It’s been an important part of my family’s Christmas, too, because they’ve seen it 11 times,” Griff said during a rehearsal Friday evening. “It’s cool that family can come to it. It’s also a really unique experience because we get to be in it with professionals.”
The Coeur d'Alene High School senior has played many roles in Tchaikovsky's classic Christmas ballet through the years — a ladybug, an angel, a "party kid" — and now in her farewell performance she will dance in the "Waltz of the Flowers."
"The Nutcracker" is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice," written by E.T.A. Hoffman. It has all the enchanting elements of Christmas: Toys coming to life, magical kingdoms and more. Griff said she loves "The Nutcracker" for many things, including how it tells a story in a special way.
“It’s really cool because it’s telling a story throughout the whole thing,” she said. “It’s not just a collection of dances, the whole program is telling one story through dancing and there’s no talking in it at all. It’s really cool to me that you can tell a story without words, just by body movement.”
Griff and several other teenage dancers practiced the "Waltz of the Flowers" in the Le Danse Studio during the rehearsal. The music began and they crisscrossed the floor, stretching their arms and gracefully pointing their padded toes in unison. A soft pattering of light ballerina steps could be heard as they danced, tall and graceful, sometimes catching each others' eyes and grinning as they moved.
“Ballet’s one of my favorite things to do,” Griff said. “All my best friends are in dance with me, you meet really great people through it.”
Lake City High School junior Madeline Hennig, 17, will be performing in "The Nutcracker" for her fourth year and will also be dancing in the "Waltz of the Flowers." She said it's a show that has something for everyone.
"Just because it’s a ballet doesn’t mean that it’s a girl thing,” she said. “It’s enjoyable the entire time. It’s not one thing that’s boring. It’s a story and it’s easy to tell the story throughout. Even though there’s no talking, it tells a story. And the music is well known, it’s not some bizarre ballet that you don’t know. Everyone knows the music — it’s Christmas music.”
More than 50 local dancers, ages 5-17, will be joined by 20 professional dancers of the Eugene Ballet Co. for the big show, with Toni Pimble as the artistic director. Le Danse Studio owner Debi Terracciano sponsors the show each year so North Idaho can get into the spirit of the season and enjoy the ballet, the music and the enchantment.
“It’s magical,” Terracciano said. “Every year when I hear that first music and the lights go up, I still just get all jittery and excited. I just can’t wait to see how it’s going to turn out.”
"The Nutcracker" will be presented at 7 p.m. Dec. 5 in North Idaho College's Schuler Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for youths and children 18 and younger. Tickets are on sale now at Le Danse Studio, 1917 N. Fifth St. in Coeur d'Alene or by calling 667-3342.
Terracciano said tickets will also be available from 5-8 p.m. during Friday's Art Walk in downtown Coeur d'Alene. Eight of her dancers will pose as live mannequins surrounded by nutcrackers and a snowy scene in the window of the Art Spirit Gallery, 415 E. Sherman Avenue.
"'The Nutcracker’ is for anybody and everybody,” she said. “It’s great for all ages, it’s great for boys and girls. There are funny parts, there’s serious parts — it’s nonstop action and fun.”