CAPE BALLERINAS PERFORM IN ST. LOUIS AT NUTCRACKER

For the second year in a row, Whitney Pingel, 10, and Christina Veneziano, 12, were selected to dance with the State Ballet of Missouri in "The Nutcracker at the Fox" in St. Louis.

There will be performances at 8 p.m. Dec. 13-15, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Dec. 16 and 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Dec. 17.

Pingel is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dale Pingel, and Veneziano is the daughter of Drs. Louis and Carol Veneziano. They are students at Academy of Dance Arts in Cape Girardeau, which has had ballerinas dancing in "The Nutcracker" for the last nine years.

The girls auditioned last summer at the Missouri State Ballet Summer School, competing with more than 300 other students. They won parts as dancers with the character Mother Ginger.

For two weeks prior to the performances, they must travel to St. Louis every night after school for hours of practice. Pingel and Veneziano both said it was worth it.

"You get to meet a lot of new people and learn some new steps," Pingel said.