Metropolitan School of the Arts to Present Nutcracker Ballet, Dec. 3 a

Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) is returning to the stage to perform its annual Nutcracker ballet performed at the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center in Alexandria, Va., at 4915 E Campus Dr. on Sat., Dec. 3 and Sun., Dec. 4 at 12 PM and 5 PM on both days. This year, MSA is replacing the Russian musical suite with Ukrainian folk dance in support of the Ukrainian crisis, and invited Colleen Prince, a dancer/choreographer from Carpathia Folk Dance Ensemble of Washington, D.C. to help choreograph the MSA Nutcracker. Tickets range from $30 to $32 per person. Go to www.metropolitanarts.org for more information, and purchase tickets at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35491/production/1140336.

More than 140 Metropolitan School of the Arts students will perform the Nutcracker, including, Meghan Ong a sophomore and Jacob Anderson a junior who will be one of the couples dancing the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier. Ong recently attended the Houston Ballet Summer Intensive on full scholarship and Anderson attended the Netherlands Dance Theater Summer Program. Justin Roach and Erik Peyton, both seniors this year, are dancing in the role of the Nutcracker prince and will be auditioning for top musical theater colleges. All three boys attend the MSA college preparatory performing arts Academy and are versed in all genres, dance, acting and singing.

The audience can join Clara on her journey as she finds a way to break the curse placed upon the Nutcracker prince, then witness the battle scene between the Mouse Queen and the Nutcracker followed by an encounter with the Snow Queen and her dancing snowflakes. The Sugar Plum Fairy will dazzle with her lovely dancing in the Land of Sweets, along with Flowers, Butterflies, Chinese dancers, Arabian Princesses and more.

“The students are energized to bring our annual Nutcracker to the stage in glorious, professionally designed costumes,” said Jacqueline Doherty, artistic director of the Nutcracker and Metropolitan Youth Ballet of Metropolitan School of the Arts in Alexandria, Va. “We support all people who have been affected by this war and hope to continue to bring awareness to this crisis.”

As a non-profit organization, Metropolitan School of the Arts relies on the generous donations of sponsors and the community to sustain operations for its Academy and studio programming. The Academy at Metropolitan School of the Arts is a college preparatory performing arts school for emerging young artists, grades 7 to 12, who are dedicated to a rigorous academic experience in a pre-professional performing arts conservatory environment. Their cross-curricular approach to arts training fills each young artist’s toolbox with the dance, music and acting skills necessary to be a triple threat in the arts world. Metropolitan School of the Arts approach to education is designed to develop independent, self-motivated and skilled learners. The school offers a post-high school graduate/gap program as well, for those students who desire an extra year to prepare for admittance into a performing arts university.