Arizona Dance Artistry
&
Phoenix Youth Ballet Theatre
PRESENT
THE NUTCRACKER SUITE
The Story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince
Act 1
It’s Christmas Eve at the Shahlbaum house in the early 1900’s and guests are arriving to the family Christmas party. The children of the house, Clara and Fritz, present gifts to their friends during the festive gathering. The gift opening is interrupted by Uncle Drosselmeyer’s assistant toymaker, Kurt, who apologizes for their Uncle’s tardiness, but arrives bearing a gift of a magical angel for the Stahlbaum Christmas tree. Clara’s father introduces his daughter to their new guest and asks for Clara to dance with him. Clara is taken with Kurt and finds him to be quite charming. Fritz teases Clara about her new friend and Kurt teaches Fritz a lesson about teasing his sister. During the party, Uncle Drosselmeyer, a magician and toy maker, arrives with more gifts for the children. He gives a special Nutcracker doll for Clara. Clara daydreams a vision of an angel and dreams of Kurt as her Nutcracker Prince. She snaps out of her dream in time to rejoin the party guests for a dance.Fritz becomes jealous and tries to steal the Nutcracker from Clara. In the midst of the fight, the Nutcracker breaks and Clara is heartbroken. Her father mends the Nutcracker and promises it will be fine in the morning. As the guests depart, Clara searches the room for her Nutcracker doll for one more look before she is sent to bed by the maid.
As the house sleeps, magical Uncle Drosselmeyer casts a spell on Clara, causing her to sleepwalk out into the parlor. Clara wakes up confused, surrounded by a dark house and mysterious dancing dolls. As the night unravels, the wonder proves to continue with the Nutcracker Prince coming to life and taking her on a breathtaking journey. The Angel of Dreams guides them through the night in their Christmas adventure.
Act 2
To guide Clara and her Nutcracker Prince on their journey, heavenly angels lead them through the starry night sky to the Land of the Sweets. Once there, they are greeted by sleeping Rosebuds, Princess Dewdrop of the Flowers and other whimsical characters who make Clara a princess for the day. There, she is presented gifts of Spanish Chocolate, Russian Candy Canes, Chinese Tea, Marzipan Candies, Arabian Coffee, Gingersnap Cookies and even the Sugar Plum Fairy makes a special appearance. At the end of their journey, Clara is reconnected with her Nutcracker doll and she if left to wonder if this magical Christmas night was all just a dream.
Production Team
Producer/Director/Choreographer: Mrs. Samantha Gobeille
Rehearsal Directors & Associate Choreographers: Mr. Kevin Godfrey,
Miss Mikaylah Harp, Miss Deserae McCall, Miss Christina Noakes, Mrs. Melissa Satyavelu
Phoenix Youth Ballet Theatre President: Mrs. Kelly Golner
PYBT Vice President: Mrs. Samantha Gobeille
PYBT Board: Mrs. Tara Cunningham, Mrs. Anne Hickling,
Mrs. Ann Puntel, Mrs. Marianne Scotto, Mrs. Michelle Skinner, Mrs. Shantha Wilson
PYBT Student Ambassadors: Hannah Bailey, Gabby Cunningham, Brooklyn Egli,
Abby Fineberg, Grace Kirsch, Julian Rodriguez, Morgan Swift, Paige Wilson
Office Manager/Playbill Designer: Mr. Kyle Greene
Office Assistants: Miss Mikayla Hudson, Mr. Kevin Godfrey
