Culture & Entertainment Notebook: Moscow Ballet dancers, students bring Great Russian Nutcracker to Cape

Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker will grace the Southeast River Campus main stage Tuesday with the eloquent choreography of Russian dancers and local, student talent.

Kathi Wolf owns The Dance Center in Cape Girardeau -- this year's host dance studio for the show.

This is the second time Wolf has been contacted about her studio serving as the host location through the ballet's Dance with Us program, she said. The Moscow Ballet annually tours North America performing ballets, including the "Great Russian Nutcracker," "Swan Lake," "Sleeping Beauty," "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella."

This year, one dancer traveled from Vienna, Illinois to take part in the show, Wolf said.

According to Wolf, Moscow Ballet soloist and audition director Bogdana Kopiy visited Cape Girardeau for a casting of the children for the roles in the show. Kopiy also taught the choreography to the dance instructors at The Dance Center.

Each Saturday following Kopiy's visit, the students are taught the choreography, Wolf explained.

Students Stella Schweain, Anna Schuchardt and Lindsey Caldwell have been rehearsing for The Great Russian Nutcracker since October, they said.

Stella, 11, from Jackson, portrays one of the 10 snow maidens in the show. Her home dance studio is Academy of Dance Arts in Cape Girardeau. Stella has been dancing for almost seven years.

This is Stella's second year being part of the Nutcracker production, which she said has eased her nerves.

"I'm real excited for it, though," she said.

Lily Carr, 11, dances Saturday during rehearsal of the party scene from the Nutcracker at the Dance Center in Cape Girardeau.TYLER GRAEF

Fellow Academy of Dance Arts peer Anna Schuchardt, 15, from Cape Girardeau, also will perform as a snow maiden Tuesday.

Anna has been dancing since the age of three, she said.

"I've been in The Nutcracker before; this is my second time," she said.

She said the rehearsals have not been very stressful; she's just excited to perform in it again, because of how much fun it was the first time.

Anna said there's a difference from Kopiy's skills and the students.

As for what the costumes will look like for the show, Anna hasn't seen hers yet, but remembers seeing what the girls had two years ago, and is excited.

"They have bigger sleeves than before, so that's going to be different dancing," Anna said. "Usually dance costumes have pretty tight sleeves."

She said during this experience, she has enjoyed -- aside from dancing -- getting to see her friends and making new friends along the way.

Lindsey Caldwell, 13, from Cape Girardeau, performs as a snow sprite -- one of four -- in the show. Her home dance studio is The Dance Center.

This marks Lindsey's sixth year dancing.

"The snow maidens just dance in a semicircle formation around the stage, setting it up," she said. "And the snow sprites, we dance in between them."

Lindsey said she's had fun learning the part, "and once you have that down, it's all practicing."

She described her costume for the show as "more of a flowy one."

"I'm learning new moves. It's a real easy dance," Lindsey said, "but it's like I've actually learned how to perfect those dance moves, other than just do them."

As for the show itself, there will be a "whole bunch of energy," she said.

Tickets and information for Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker at the River Campus can be found at rivercampus.org.

jhartwig@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3632

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