Neva Shelton’s The Nutcracker Celebrates its 25th Anniversary with a Performance at Local Venue Grove Hall

Neva Shelton’s L’École de Danse is proud to present a ballet true to holiday tradition this coming weekend.

For the past 25 years, Neva Shelton’s L’École de Danse has been performing the beloved ballet The Nutcracker. This year, locals will be able to sit in on one of two shows at Huntingdon’s Grove Hall. The first will take place on Saturday, December 19th at 7:30 P.M. while the second show will be a matinee, taking place on Sunday, December 20th at 2:00 P.M, followed by a 5 á 7 reception. The school only performs the beloved ballet every two to three years.

In case you aren’t familiar with the story of The Nutcracker, the ballet follows little Clara as she saves her poor injured Nutcracker and sees him turned into a handsome prince. Together they take a magical journey through the Enchanted Forest, the Land of Snow and into the Kingdom of Candy Land. There they are met by the Sugar Plum Fairy, who offers them many mysterious and bewitching treats. This quest is accompanied by the sounds of the renowned Russian composer Tchaïkovski’s music. The dance, which includes sixty dancers in ages ranging from five to 55 years of age, incorporates performers from all levels, from the tiniest beginners to Shelton’s pre-professional level graduates. To mark the quarter century anniversary of performing the ballet, Shelton has invited some of her former students to join her current ones. Special guests will include Erika Rosenbaum, who will be playing Clara’s mother (who previously played the part of Clara as a young girl), Huntingdon’s Jeremie Roy, who will be rejoining the cast as not only the Prince, but as the father of Clara, while New York’s Benjamin Pomerante will be performing the part of Drossel Meyer, the magician full of wonder and magic. The role of Clara will be played by the young Lauriane Fortier.

The colourful costumes gracing the stage this year are the result of the efforts of numerous parents over the years, most notably Nancy Onufer. This year, local talent Richard Hansen has updated the costumes, adding a touch of his own. True to the tradition of The Nutcracker, the stage will be dressed in majestic decor and magical lighting to complete the holiday tradition. This year, the ballet’s backdrop will be presented a little differently, as Grove Hall owner Tina Bye has prepared a series of videos to provide the dance with an ethereal effect.

Local Neva Shelton has been teaching dance for over 35 years, formally establishing the L’École de Danse in 1980. Specializing in the fields of classical ballet, pre-ballet and contemporary dance, Shelton, who is a registered teacher with the Cecchetti Society of Canada, teaches in venues located across Ormstown, Huntingdon, Valleyfield and St-Michel. Originally from Montreal East, Shelton relocated to Ormstown in 1979. When asked about why she has chosen The Nutcracker as her trademark play, she answered, “It’s an old favourite. It brings in children—some ballets are hard to fit in the children—and The Nutcracker allows us to find a role for everyone…it’s a story that people can really relate to. It really grabs the audience, no matter the age—it really does address people from a young age right through to the adults, while presenting a challenge for the students. Of course, the play is only ever as good as the people helping, and our production is the effort of many people, which is what makes it so special.”

For those who can’t make the show at Grove Hall, Neva Shelton’s L’École de Danse will be performing The Nutcracker at Valleyfield’s Salle Albert-Dumouchel on December 29th.