Big Ballet Is Back in Town

Chatsworth's California Dance Academy presents its annual offering of the enchanting ballet "The Nutcracker" on Dec. 4-12 at Canoga Park's Madrid Theatre.  A perennial holiday treat, this large-scale production features 60 students performing alongside professional guest artists.

Jennifer Shahani, who codirects the California Dance Academy with her husband, Robbin, said: "Even though our dancers are a little younger, we do a full-fledged production as professionals would do it."

"Ours is one of the few ballets in the San Fernando Valley presenting productions of the highest quality put on by a local studio," added Robbin Shahani.

Originally known as The Rozann-Zimmerman Ballet Center, the California Dance Academy has had a reputation for providing high-caliber classical ballet training for more than 50 years. "We bought it three years ago," said Robbin Shahani. "However, we felt it was time to update the image and broaden out. We wanted to make it more appealing to kids by turning them into more rounded dancers.  In addition to ballet we also offer contemporary, jazz, tap, Pilates and hip-hop taught by much of the same faculty as before.

"The students performing in "The Nutcracker" are given an opportunity to participate in a professional-quality production. The academy "serves the development of students from their first encounters with music and movement to becoming accomplished professional-level dancers," Robbin Shahani said.

 "Even if they don't aspire to become professionals, one of the goals is to give the students the musicality and training they need to become better audience members so as to support ballet in the future.  They really get the discipline and life skills necessary to become good citizens."

The focus of the training is on the excellence, fun and joy of dance at each level of achievement. "We all dance professionally, and bring a high level of training into studio, but we integrate fun into it to make it enjoyable," Jennifer said.

For this production, the academy is bringing in a few professionals. Robbin Shahani himself will perform the role of the toymaker, Herr Drosselmeyer.

The California Dance Academy is truly a family-oriented studio. "It's nice having families dancing together on stage," said Robbin. "There are some very talented parents at the studio:  Some do set design, some do costumes, others do photography and graphic design. We got a lot of dads this year:  One of the dads is the chief costumer."

Asked about his own children, Robbin replied: "We can't tear our kids away from it.  We offer the same opportunity to other fathers who dance to get their kids involved, too."

"We're using local students and giving them the chance to do everything from the smallest to the largest roles," he said. "It's a great opportunity for kids to dance their hearts out, feel special, and have a great experience."