Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM November 29 - December 5, 2023 UCW 15 e Blume School of Dance presents e Nutcrack- er Ballet on Dec. 9 and 10, at the Crown Coliseum. e Nutcracker Ballet is an adaptation of "e Nutcracker and the King of Mice" written by E.T.A. Hoffman. e choreographed story is based on a revision by Alexander Dumas. e concise story follows as Clara receives a Nut- cracker on Christmas Eve. She falls asleep holding the Nutcracker. e Nutcracker becomes alive and is attacked by the Mouse King and mice. e Mouse King and the mice overwhelm the Nutcracker. She rescues him from the Mouse King. e mice take the defeated Mouse king away. e Nutcracker becomes a Prince. Clara and the Prince travel to the Land of Snow and the Land of Sweets. e Sugar Plum Fairy rewards Clara for vanquish- ing the Mouse King. Clara experiences a series of celebrations in the form of dances. e finale sees the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier dance a pas de deux. Clara awakens from the dream, holding the Nutcracker. "is is the fifty-fourth year of producing the nos- talgic ballet classic, e Nutcracker," said Dina Lewis, studio director, Blume School of Dance. "It is always with much excitement and joy when the month of December comes around and the department stores are filled with music from the famous Nutcracker Ballet. Being able to direct the production and see the way the young people mesmerize the crowd is always fulfilling. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a young performer who has worked on the choreogra- phy since April come off the stage all smiles. "Being able to impact the families who attend with a lifelong hopeful memory of the Nutcracker keeps me overjoyed and feeling quite accomplished. Hope- fully, I will be around to see it through for quite a few more years." Jennifer Shean, parent of Kaelyn Shean shares thoughts about her daughter's participation in the upcoming performance of e Nutcracker. "My daughter, Kaelyn Shean, one of the performers with the North Carolina Ballet through Blume School of Dance will be performing as a Soldier in Act I, and a Doll in the Mother Ginger Scene in Act ll." "I enjoy e Nutcracker because it is an enchant- ing Christmas story. Clara overcomes her fear of the Mouse King to save a loved one, her Nutcracker. You feel like you are really on a journey with Clara to the Land of Sweets," said Kaelyn Shean. "I enjoy dancing in this one because it is the actual choreography and music from the original Nutcracker. It is the closest you can get to dancing the real thing. e Nutcracker symbolizes Christmas. e Nutcracker takes place on Christmas Eve, then the toys came to life. It is basi- cally about the magic of Christmas and believing in things that seem impossible." e Blume School of Dance and North Carolina State Ballet are the jewels of Fayetteville's quality of life organizations. "is Ballet, e Nutcracker, brings families to- gether to watch and has become peoples' Christmas tradition. It is a good ballet and people want to keep coming to see it," said Jennifer Shean. Experience the magic of e Nutcracker Ballet by the Blume School of Dance, on December 9 and 10, at 3 p.m. e performances will be held at the Crown Coliseum, Fayetteville. e ticket prices are $13.50 for children, $27.50 for military, and $33.50 for adults. Tickets and e Nutcracker Ballet information is available at Nutcracker, Crown Complex, https:// www.crowncomplexnc.com and Blume School of Dance at 910-484-3466. (Photo courtesy of Blume School of Dance) Experience the magic of The Nutcracker Ballet by LENA SIMMONS LENA SIMMONS, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upand- comingweekly.com. 910-484-6200 EVENT Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. JOIN TODAY! Awarded as one of the strongest financial institutions in the nation by Bauer Financial. SELLING A BUSINESS? BUYING A BUSINESS? Business Sales • Mergers & Acquisitions • Franchises akelsey@tworld.com Ashley Kelsey (910) 302-6447 www.transworldeast.com