'The Nutcracker' Ballet In Batavia: 'We Strive To Surprise Audiences'

BATAVIA, IL — "The Nutcracker," the classic 1892 two-act ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, opens in Batavia in less than a month.

Presented by the Fox Valley Ballet, the production will run at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Nov. 25 and at 1 p.m. Nov. 26 at the Batavia Fine Arts Centre, located within Batavia High School. It's deemed the best "Nutcracker" in the Fox Valley area and western suburbs, according to producers.

"The production is a gift to families who don't have to trek into the city to experience a professional production of the Nutcracker," said Artistic Director Ashlie Andersen. "We strive to surprise our audiences with new twists and innovative visual effects to keep them on the edge of their seats throughout the show."

Joffrey dancers Valentino Moneglia Zamora and Yumi Kanazawa, who played the role of Clara in Joffrey Ballet's "Nutcracker" performance last year, will perform the role of the Grand Pas de Deux couple. Evan Boersma will be the Snow King and the Arabian Male lead.

"What excites me about performing in the Fox Valley Ballet Nutcracker is to be able to be a part of a beautiful community of dancers of all ages and their families," Kanazawa said in a statement. "I have performed in the Nutcracker since I was seven years old, and I love to see the young dancers who are going through similar magical experiences that performing and being a part of a production can bring. I hope to inspire younger dancers and to be inspired by them as well."

The Batavia ballet relies on donations and the dancers' families to volunteer to remain running, according to showrunners.

"Because we are a non-profit, we rely on the generosity of donors," Andersen said. "We have many opportunities for businesses to sponsor the production."

This year's show features roughly 40 more dancers than in previous years, said Aria Novak, production assistant of the Fox Valley Nutcracker. It's the only production outside of Joffrey's that features more than 120 dancers from 25 studios across the Chicago area.

With such a big turnout, we created a Cast A and Cast B to allow more dancers opportunities to perform in different roles," she said. "Joffrey Ballet and other larger productions run similarly. We also are pleased to showcase two incredibly talented, graceful Claras who will perform en pointe. We are thrilled that these two dancers will take on additional roles in other scenes of the Nutcracker as well."

The Fox Valley Ballet also serves to benefit the community. Attendees will have chances to purchase raffle tickets before the show and during intermission, with a portion of the proceeds slated to be invested in the Fox Valley Ballet Scholarship Fund. The money goes to students who need financial assistance for summer programs or training at their local dance studios.

"We have awarded $10,000 in scholarship money to young, aspiring dancers who need financial assistance to further their training," Andersen said.

Tickets for "The Nutcracker" cost between $31-51 for adults and $25-41 for children 10 and younger. Admission can be purchased by calling 630-937-8930 or visiting the Batavia Fine Arts Centre online.