Many children introduced to ballet by seeing peers dance in ‘The Nutcracker’

When compared with other ballets, one of the most unique facets of "The Nutcracker" is that the major parts of Clara and Fritz are performed by children, and other children dance many of the supporting roles.

As a result, "The Nutcracker" often is a child's first exposure to ballet and, for some, to a theatrical performance of any kind.

Nevada Ballet Theatre is about to introduce another generation of youngsters to the holiday favorite with 10 performances beginning Saturday through Dec. 24 in the Paris Theatre at Paris Las Vegas.

With music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky and choreography by Peter Anastos, the ballet is based on the book "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

The story is set at a Christmas party in the home of the Stahlbaum family where little Clara is given a nutcracker by her godfather. During the party, the nutcracker is broken by Clara's brother Fritz. Although the nutcracker is repaired, Clara later returns to the Christmas tree to check on it and falls asleep. The ballet unfolds in her dream as toys come alive to dance, a battle erupts between the nutcracker and Mouse King, and Clara meets the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Land of Sweets for a happy ending.

In the local production, now in its 30th year, students from the Nevada Ballet Academy audition to participate. One of the children in "The Nutcracker" this year is 9-year-old Isabella Lohr. Her first "Nutcracker" performance was when she was 3. Since then, Isabella reports, "I've been gingerbread, a mouse three times and marzipan. This year I'm a baker with a big brown spoon in the second act."

Her mother, Penne Lohr, explains that ballet is like a family business. Isabella's father danced with the San Francisco Ballet and Ballet West in Utah. Her older brother Barrington Lohr is a professional in the Nevada Ballet Theatre company.

"Our children were all exposed to the arts," Penne Lohr says, "and each made their own decision to dance."

Lohr says that, before she did just about anything else, Isabella moved to music. "She started lessons at 6 months in a Mommy and Me class. She would wave her hands and move."

Even at 9, Isabella knows what she wants to do. She is home-schooled and studies dance four days a week. Looking ahead, she says, "I would like to study dance and musical theater in college. I'm keeping my focus straight on dancing."

The participation of children in "The Nutcracker" is part of the reason that children have grown up seeing and, even, loving the ballet. But, in today's digital world, will they still love it?

"It's more of a grown-up thing to believe that the kids won't like it," says Clarice Geissel-Rathers, the dance troupe's artistic associate.

To help kids prepare for seeing a ballet for the first time, Terane Comito, the company's education and outreach director, has prepared an "etiquette" booklet outlining performance-appropriate behavior that is given to teachers bringing their classes to see the ballet. Much of it also is useful for parents preparing their own children to attend "The Nutcracker."

Asked if children will like "The Nutcracker," Isabella responds quickly: "I would say this is a very kid-appropriate show. The costumes, sets and music are beautiful. Mostly, though, the dancers are beautiful."