Dancers from Davidson County to Perform in Nashville's Nutcracker

Nashville Ballet has selected 137 dancers from Davidson County to perform in the youth cast for Nashville’s Nutcracker: Celebrating 10 Years! December 2-23, 2017, at TPAC’s Jackson Hall. This year’s youth cast marks the organization’s largest to date, with 296 dancers from School of Nashville Ballet and the community at large performing alongside Nashville Ballet and the Nashville Symphony in the local holiday favorite.

Nashville’s Nutcracker will feature the following young dancers from Davidson County:

• Amelia Adgate, child of Jade and Andrew, as a Lamb
• Sara Agee, child of Olivia and Timothy, as a Frontier Soldier
• Jesse Aleman, child of Jennifer and Stephen, as a Cavalry member
• Ginevieve Alvarez, child of Stella and Luis, as a Native American Soldier
• Tilly Anderson, child of Lucija and Adam, as a Party Girl
• Vito Antoniadis, child of Vita Cicolello and Theo Antonaidis, as Fritz
• Tevin Ashford, child of Tunja Ashford and Matrice Walker, as Fritz
• Florence Bavas, child of Anika and David, as a Native American Soldier
• Sydney Bayless, child of Monique and Stephen, as a Russian Nesting Doll
• Bailey Beller, child of Erin and David, as a Bon Bon
• Gabrielle Bengelsdorf, child of Sarah and Steven, as a Bon Bon
• Ella Bramlett, child of Ashley and Robert, as a Frontier Soldier
• Hailey Brown, child of Tanya and Lanny, as a Native American Soldier
• Zeboreh Bynum, child of Trenay and Quinton, as a Medium Mouse
• Bridget Byrd, child of Bridget and Kenny, as a Party Girl
• Lydia Byrne, child of Therese and David, as a Russian Nesting Doll
• Mia Blaise Campbell, child of Kisha and Dale, as a Lamb
• Alissa Carter, child of Malissa and Henri, as a Cavalry member
• Jayla Cliff, child of Jasmine, as a Baby Mouse
• Samantha Coplan, child of Lauren and Jeff, as a Lamb
• Kennedy Davidson, child of Kimberly, as a Russian Nesting Doll
• Natalia Del Pino, child of Tessa and Jerome, as a Native American Soldier
• David Digby, child of Erika and Benjamin, as a Party Boy
• Christiana Dixon, child of Sameka and Gary, as a Baby Mouse
• Sydney Emeson, child of Martha and Ron, as a Bon Bon
• Milvia Erazo, child of Heidy Gonzalez, as a Frontier Soldier
• Suze Esval, child of Audra and Kevin, as a Russian Nesting Doll and Bon Bon
• Katie Freeman, child of Rachel and Bob, as a Cavalry member
• Jackson Funk, child of Heather and Danny, as a Party Boy
• Hallie Galyon, child of Martha and LA, as a Native American Soldier
• Indigo Gann, child of Reebah and Joshua, as a Frontier Soldier
• Lexi Gardner, child of Kim and Charles, as a Medium Mouse
• Lyric Gordon, child of LaQuisa and Michael, as a Frontier Soldier
• Will Gowan, child of Robert, as a Party Boy
• Chloe "Coco" Graham, child of Shauna and Steven, as a Baby Mouse
• Adaisha Grimes, child of Lakreshia and Jerat, as a Cavalry member
• Miranda Grissom, child of Stacey and Rocio, as a Garden Fairy
• Sandra Grissom, child of Stacey and Rocio, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Joshua Halevi, child of Lauren Clay, as a Party Boy
• Claudia Hanks, child of Sherry and Phil, as a Garden Fairy
• Brooke Harden, child of Jennifer and Nathan, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Selah Harding, child of Gwen and Richard, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Penny Hemingway, child of Celeste and Graham, as a Lamb
• Paige Hermanson, child of Karen and Eric, as a Cavalry member
• Hannah Hewitt, child of Julie and John, as Clara
• Mattie Hill, child of Daphnia, as a Baby Mouse
• Matilda Howell, child of Jessica Osaki and Houston Howell, as a Baby Mouse
• Ava Hunt, child of Wendy and Britt, as a Baby Mouse
• Tessa Hunt, child of Wendy and Britt, as a Garden Fairy
• Caroline Jackson, child of Michelle and Jim, as a Native American Soldier
• Nyelle Johnson, child of Kristen Carr, as a Baby Mouse
• Ben Jones, child of Beth and Brad, as a Party Boy
• Janesta Krueck, child of Ginger Rose and Jonathan, as a Garden Fairy
• Kate Laborde, child of Blair and Cregan, as a Lamb
• Juliette Laffer, child of Melissa and Arthur, as a Medium Mouse
• James Lankford, child of Vilavan and James, as a Bon Bon
• Noa Lemkin, child of Andrea and Danny, as a Garden Fairy
• Aidan Lopez Zumwalt, child of Kelley and Jorge, as a Party Boy
• Fhinn Lopez Zumwalt, child of Kelley and Jorge, as a Party Boy
• Trey Lopez Zumwalt, child of Kelley and Jorge, as an Infantry member
• Trystan Lopez Zumwalt, child of Kelley and Jorge, as an Infantry member
• Ashley Martinez, child of Marta Zunga and Bernal Martinez, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Brianny Martinez, child of Marta Zunga and Bernal Martinez, as a Cavalry member
• Katherine Martinez Perez, child of Elsy Perez, as a Baby Mouse
• Greta Matthies, child of Dawn and Heiner, as a Bon Bon
• Brady May, child of Andrea and Allen, as Fritz
• Katie Ann McCanless, child of Colleen, as a Lamb
• Nancy McCanless, child of Colleen, as a Lamb
• Kaylee McRae, child of Adrienne and Richard, as a Lamb
• Maya Momot, child of Kashia and John, as a Party Girl
• Cate Monahan, child of Sally and Ken, as a Cavalry member
• Ana Moore, child of Natasha and William, as a Lamb
• Annabella Morozov, child of Heather, as a Garden Fairy
• Amani Moses, child of Kenitha and Alante, as a Baby Mouse
• Estefania Mota Contreras, child of Rene Mota and Tadira Contetas, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Claire Murray, child of Kristen and John, as Clara
• Josephine Mutuku, child of Mwikali Mutuku and Jomo Cromwell, as a Frontier Soldier
• Lili Near, child of Eric and Justin, as a Garden Fairy
• Isabella Nelson, child of Virginia Silva and William Nelson, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Annabeth Nelson, child of Lynn and Paul, as a Garden Fairy
• Eleonore Ness, child of Adelaide and Matthew, as a Baby Mouse
• Addie Nine, child of Teri and Harmon, as a Garden Fairy
• Carrington Nunn, child of Lakeisha and Antoine, as a Garden Fairy
• Samantha Otto, child of Shannon and Eric, as a Cavalry member
• Imisi Otukpe, child of Leah Alexander and Okyinka Otukpe, as a Frontier Soldier
• Iyanu Otukpe, child of Leah Alexander and Okyinka Otukpe, as a Cavalry member
• Anna Brooks Ozburn, child of Natalie and Christopher, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Lillian Padgett, child of Laura and Micah, as a Medium Mouse
• Norah Perry, child of Holly and David, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Piper Petraglia, child of Eulene and Angelo, as a Lamb
• Miranda Pita, child of Dalila Sarabia, as a Garden Fairy
• Lexi Poland, child of Alison and Greg, as a Baby Mouse
• Lillian Pyatt, child of Laura and Jud, as a Lamb
• Katelynn Quarles, child of Kelly and John, as a Cavalry member
• Margaret Rick, child of Melissa and Wade, as a Baby Mouse
• Bea Robbins, child of Liz and Chad, as a Cavalry member
• Elia Rodriguez, child of Alice and Adrian, as a Party Girl
• Cannon Sandidge, child of Angela and Kent, as a Cavalry member
• Kent Sandidge, child of Angela and Kent, as a Party Boy
• Ethan Schwab, child of Andrea and Steven, as an Infantry member
• Gabrielle Schwab, child of Andrea and Steven, as a Russian Nesting Doll
• Fiorella Sergio, child of Andreina and Alfredo, as a Party Girl
• Marshal Simpson, child of Kim and Dan, as a Baby Mouse
• Emma Delane Singleton, child of Holly and Matt, as a Garden Fairy
• Aasia Slaughter, child of Ruby and Henry, as a Cavalry member
• Gwyneth Smith, child of Diana, as a Party Girl
• Seraphim Smith, child of Melanie and Donte, as a Russian Nesting Doll
• Ida Soranno, child of Jamie and Tom, as a Bon Bon
• Clara Stefansic, child of Candy and Jim, as a Garden Fairy
• Sienna Stewart, child of Diana and Brent, as a Russian Nesting Doll
• Anna Kate Talbot, child of Keipp and Tom, as a Frontier Soldier
• Caroline Thomas, child of Courtney and Scott, as a Party Girl
• Caroline Thomas, child of Elizabeth and JD, as a Garden Fairy
• Sienna Thompson, child of Allison and Chris, as a Party Girl
• C.C. Thrasher, child of Anita and Stanley, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Gabe Tolentino, child of Sarah and Genaro, as a Party Boy
• Ashley Trusley, child of Brooke and Josh, as a Garden Fairy
• Aubrey Trusley, child of Brooke and Josh, as a Garden Fairy
• Caroline Walsh, child of Emily and Patrick, as a Garden Fairy
• Malkosha'le Waters, child of Deyonna and Thaxton, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Avery Weber, child of Priscilla and Thomas, as a Garden Fairy
• Shakia Webster, child of Suzette and Greg, as a Frontier Soldier
• Addison Whitaker, child of Rosie Whitaker and Kevin Bailey, as a Garden Fairy
• Sofie Whiting, child of Liz and Darren, as a Native American Soldier
• Antanisha Whitman, child of Stephanie Stallings and Richard Whitman, as a Native American Soldier
• Brianna Wilbert, child of Lisa Halterman and Brian Wilbert, as a Frontier Soldier
• Jake Wilkison, child of Jade and Jay, as a Party Boy
• Kymora-Lee Williams, child of Cecily and Sean, as a Dancing Bear Cavalry member
• Charles Williams, child of Lisa, as a Party Boy
• Ava Wilson, child of Jenna and Christian, as a Garden Fairy
• Cayli Mariah Wilson, child of Tesia and Jarrett, as a Garden Fairy
• Madison Womack, child of Kim Dickens and Darren Womack, as a Garden Fairy
• Nissa Wood, child of Sirkka and Chris, as Clara
• Emmalynn Woodard, child of Courtney and Jared, as a Garden Fairy
• Danielle Woodard, child of Karen Holmes-Woodard, as a Russian Nesting Doll
• Alexis Woods, child of Cindi Jones-Woods and Derek Woods, as a Baby Mouse
• Julianne Zenor, child of Karen and Andrew, as a Frontier Soldier

This year’s Nashville’s Nutcracker youth cast members were selected from community-wide, open auditions. Members of the youth cast come from 14 counties throughout Middle Tennessee and Kentucky, including, Cheatham, Christian, Davidson, Decatur, DeKalb, Hopkins, Humphreys, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson. They will perform alongside all 54 members of Nashville Ballet’s professional dance company and second company and 60 members of the GRAMMY® Award-winning Nashville Symphony performing Tchaikovsky’s celebrated score.

“We’ve had more than 1,000 young dancers in the Nashville’s Nutcracker youth cast since the production’s debut 10 years ago,” Nashville Ballet Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling said. “The size of the youth cast has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, so this year we’re debuting a brand-new role, the Dancing Bear Cavalry, which allows us to welcome even more young dancers on stage.”

In addition to the debut of the new youth cast role, Nashville Ballet is celebrating 10 years of Nashville’s Nutcracker with more all-new elements—including snow falling on the audience during the iconic snow scene. Nashville Ballet premiered The Nutcracker in 1989, but the production was reinvented as Nashville’s Nutcracker in 2008 with a unique concept incorporating Nashville’s vibrant past along with new choreography, sets, costumes and on-stage magic tricks. Since then, Vasterling’s original spin on the classic has cemented its place as one of Music City’s most beloved holiday traditions.

Beginning at the 1897 Centennial Exposition in Nashville, Clara and her Uncle Drosselmeyer meet a colorful cast of characters from faraway lands. When Uncle Drosselmeyer gifts Clara with a wooden Nutcracker on Christmas Eve, the toy magically transforms to life as a handsome prince and leads her through a remarkable adventure. Clara visits everyone from the Snow Queen to the Sugar Plum Fairy, including the spellbinding characters she met at the Exposition. When Clara finally returns home, the audience is left to decide if it was all just a dream—or not.

Nashville’s Nutcracker is presented by 21c Museum Hotel Nashville, Google Fiber and RJ Young. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased in person at the TPAC box office in downtown Nashville, by phone at (615) 782-4040 or at NashvilleBallet.com. A complete performance schedule and more information can be found at NashvilleBallet.com/Nashvilles-Nutcracker-2017.

About Nashville Ballet
Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director & CEO Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the second company, NB2 (a pre-professional training company), provide more than 70,000 arts experiences to adults and children annually through season performances and its Community Engagement programming. Curriculum-based Community Engagement programs bring dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries and public elementary, middle and high schools across the state. School of Nashville Ballet brings world-class dance instruction to students age 2 to 70.

Nashville Ballet receives public funding from Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts. Contributions from local, regional and national institutional funders and community partners, as well as hundreds of generous individuals, provide ongoing support of Nashville Ballet’s mission-critical programs.