South Windsor Residents Win Lead Roles in the Nutcracker

Connecticut Concert Ballet’s Nutcracker has another full weekend of shows coming up, and two residents of Souh Windsor will be highlighted in the performances. Alana Ceppetelli and Krista Donovan were selected from the cast of 260 for lead roles when auditions were held in September. A total of 20 residents in the show are from South Windsor.

Connecticut Concert Ballet is a 501(c)(3) classical ballet school and performing arts organization with studios in Manchester and in Windsor at the Loomis Chaffee School. CCB has had a stellar year winning awards and receiving recognition in the ballet community that acknowledges the excellence of the training CCB provides our local area. In addition, CCB is honored to announce it had been named “Best Dance Lessons” in Hartford Magazine’s “Best of Hartford” readers’ poll for 2013 and 2014.

CCB’s best dancers also excel in academics and community involvement. This pursuit of excellence results in technically proficient performers and well rounded individuals. CCB is proud of its students for their continued growth as dancers, and for the following accomplishments.

Alana Ceppetelli (Ballerina Doll) is an honor roll eighth grader at Timothy Edwards Middle School. She attended American Ballet Theatre, Summer Intensive in North Carolina this year, which is one of the most competitive ballet programs in the country. According to Alana, the hardest part of ballet is taking corrections and applying them to technique. Alana says, “I love to perform. I also like to take a dance sequence and turn it into so much more.” Alana is an Apprentice in CCB’s pre-professional program.

Krista Donovan (Military Doll) is a homeschooled high school sophomore and this is her tenth Nutcracker. Krista’s favorite role was as a Rat, because, she says, “It was so different from any other role I’ve ever done.” Krista says the most challenging part of ballet “is to constantly push myself. I enjoy the challenge and the physical activity.” She adds, “I love the teachers at CCB, they all help you in different areas.”

This production will highlight 260 of Connecticut Concert Ballet’s talented local students alongside Guest Artists Azamat Asangul Uulu as the Nutcracker Prince and Rebecca DeNies as the Sugar Plum Fairy. Azamat is a native of Kyrgyzstan and has performed worldwide with the Russian National Ballet, the Moscow City Ballet and with the Kyrgyz National Opera and Ballet Theatre; he is currently a company member with the Island Moving Company in Newport, RI. Rebecca is a CCB alumna and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University’s Hartt School.

Performances will be held at the state of the art Bailey Auditorium, Manchester High School, 134 Middle Turnpike East, on Saturday, December 20 (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and Sunday, December 21 (2 p.m.).

Advance Ticket Information: Preferred Front & Center Seats $35; General Admission: Adult $25, Child/Student/Senior $15. Tickets are available online at www.connecticutnutcracker.com, also at Dance Village, 171 Spencer St, Manchester and Hairdresser on Fire, 176 Broad St, Windsor. Tickets $38, $28, $18 at the door.

The technical aspects of the production including costumes, lighting and stage crew are provided by professionals and CCB’s highly capable students from 34 towns are an integral part of the production. Each year, Connecticut Concert Ballet’s Nutcracker is one of the largest community events in the greater Hartford area.

Proceeds from the show fund this 501(c)(3) not-for-profit school year round, allowing for scholarships and keeping the tuition and total cost for its students the lowest in the area.

Connecticut Concert Ballet is a semi-professional 501(c)(3) classical ballet school and performing arts organization with studios in Manchester on the Glastonbury line and in Windsor at the Loomis Chaffee School. Connecticut Concert Ballet proudly employs the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum. For information please visit www.ctconcertballet.org, call 860-643-4796 or visit us at www.facebook.com/connecticutconcertballet.

Photo credit: Exclusive Image

Full South Windsor cast list:

Sarah Bonanno
Abby Bonds
Molly Caron
Morgan Caron
Alana Ceppetelli
Joanna Donovan
Krista Donovan
Julia Falletti
Addison Gaucher
Lily Lines
Irene Bianca Milite
Jeffrey Nelson
Addisen Nicholson
Lucia Palladino
Anushka Praveenkumar
Amelia Savola
Aurelia Squatrito
Kami Tarantino
Summer Wang
Priscilla Yao