Each year, more than 6,000 children ages 6 to 18 take to the stage nationwide alongside the Moscow Ballet professionals in the "Great Russian Nutcracker." The Moscow Ballet announced its Fort Myers youth cast, called Dance with Us, Tuesday, December 10.
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Courtesy of Moscow Ballet
Moscow Ballet's Dance with Us youth from a previous cast and performance
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Courtesy of Moscow Ballet
Moscow Ballet's Dance with Us youth from a previous cast and performance
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Konstantin Viktorov/courtesy of Moscow Ballet
Moscow Ballet's "Waltz of the Snow Forest"
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Konstantin Viktorov/courtesy of Moscow Ballet
Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker costumes are by Arthur Oliver.
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Courtesy Moscow Ballet
Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker "Soldiers vs. Mice Battle"
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Ron Wyatt/courtesy of Moscow Ballet
Moscow Ballet's exclusive Dove of Peace in the Great Russian Nutcracker
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Courtesy Moscow Ballet
Moscow Ballet's French Variation with 10-foot unicorn puppet
Selected students have at least one year of ballet training.
They'll perform ancillary roles, such as party children, snowflakes, mice, snow maidens and variation dancers, during the December 29 shows at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College in south Fort Myers. Show times are noon, 4 and 8 p.m.
The children, who study at ballet schools throughout Southwest Florida, auditioned for Moscow Ballet Audition Director Mykhailo Shcherbakov in the fall and rehearsed their roles at the Moscow Ballet host dance studio Angelic Academy in Bonita Springs.
Act I Dance with Us student dancers:
- Party Children: Sadie Bowlin, Sidney Bowlin, Miley Brown, Grace Christianson, Neyah Keam, Jiya Naik, Mia Nowlin, Miles Nowlin, Kelly O’Dea, Kaiya Shelly, Reese Wilson and Riley Wilson
- Small Mice: Jael Gensor, Lourdes Grimes, Kenzi Hanneken, Abigil Lagergren, Addison Nelon, Clair Raphael, Noa Sedorchuk, Kinsley Squicciarini and Isabelle Szimlanski
- Little Snowflakes: Ellie Barbier, Zola Barbier, Adysen Blumer, Olivia Carrillo, Mara Grimes, Emilia Kirilinas, Leila Lefko, Madelyn Nowlin, Amelia Raphael, Lilly Schaffer, Alia Steele and Jayda Wexler
- Sleigh Riders: Neyah Keam and Kaiya Shelly
Act II Dance with Us student dancers:
- Snow Maidens: Riley Colton, Taylor Hodges, Gloria Hanneken, Josie Jarvis, Olivia Lagace, Vanessa Lange, Grace McCarley, Alison O’Malley, Isabella Sexto, Cora Walker, Julia Walker and Madeline Wellman
- Snow Sprites: Kirsten Jimenez, Michelle Lech, Nicole Lech and Kristen Wherry
- Spanish Variation: Natasha Lunski, Olivia Slattery, Jiya Naik and Miles Nowlin
- Arabian Variation: Trinity Cooper and Alysa Thompson
- Chinese Variation: Mia Nowlin, Reese Wilson, Madison Brown and Rachel Mandelkorn
- French Variation: Mason Nowlin and Jayda Wexler
- Russian Variation: Miley Brown, Riley Wilson, Hannah Adams and Amelia Larko
Tickets to the show are $31.13 to $177.82 and are available at the Mann Hall box office and bbmannpah.com.