Russian 'Nutcracker' features 50 local dancers

Tonight, Lindsey Kolb will step onstage with an international ballet company when the Moscow Ballet opens its two-night performance of "The Great Russian Nutcracker."

For Kolb, 15, it could be the most important moment she has as a dancer.

The ballet tells the story of young Clara and what happens when her Christmas gift, a soldier-nutcracker doll, comes to life and takes her on a series of adventures. Russian composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky set the story to music in 1892 and it has enchanted audiences at Christmas for years.

As part of an educational outreach campaign, "Celebrating Children ... The Arts Can Make a Difference," the Moscow Ballet includes local dancers in each show.

Last year, a height limit prevented Kolb, who stands 5 feet 10 inches tall, from auditioning. This year, the 5-foot-2 restriction was eliminated and she won a role of a Russian dancing girl.

"She was so excited about dancing with real Russians," said Gayla Kolb, Rachel's mother.

After five years of studying dancing, Kolb has decided to focus on ballet and was recently fitted with her first pointe shoes, though she won't be dancing on her toes this week, because her "Nutcracker" dance partner cannot dance en pointe yet.

Paige Kaminskey, 15, of Jackson, hesitated to even audition for a role, but was persuaded by a teacher to give it a shot. The experience has helped her hone in on specific techniques, such as finding the proper angle for positioning her feet, she said.

Rachel Colyer, 15, also of Jackson, will be dancing for the second year with the Moscow Ballet, and this year scored two parts in the show, as a butterfly and Chinese dancer, according to Jackie Robertson, founder of Dance Extensions school in Jackson.

"She was actually a butterfly last year," Robertson said. "This year we were short a few dancers -- last year we had 62 and this year we have about 50."

Colyer partnered with Lauren Burnham, 15, who moved from Mansfield, Texas, to Jackson in June. Burnham won roles as a butterfly and Chinese dancer. She has danced for nine years and hopes to become a dance teacher someday.

"It's really exciting to get the opportunity to dance with professionals," she said.

Robertson has been coordinating local dancers for the Moscow Ballet since the company's 2002 performance in Cape Girardeau. Dance Extensions hosted auditions and rehearsals for the local performers.

During auditions, the Russian cast members stayed at Robertson's home and conducted advanced classes at her school.

The local dancers cast for this week's show have been rehearsing since the first week of October. Robertson does not charge the students for those classes.

"You don't get a chance to dance with a big professional company too often, so I wanted to make it available to everyone. They have expenses, anyway. They have to get a basic leotard and tights, and we did ask that they bring juice and water for refreshments for the two days of technical rehearsal," Robertson said.

Though two of the students in her school are boys, neither auditioned. Robertson said she made school visits with dancers from the Moscow Ballet and talked to several boys about trying out for roles, which range from soldiers and mice to party guests. Robertson's daughter, Katelyn, 9, will dance as a miniature version of Clara during one 20-minute scene.

"There was one boy who was really, really interested and we wanted him to come to the audition, but he said, 'I don't think my dad will let me,'" Robertson said.

Cape Girardeau is one stop on the Moscow Ballet's 70-city North American tour.

"The Great Russian Nutcracker" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. today and Tuesday at Bedell Performance Hall at Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus. Call 651-2265 for show details.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

388-3646

Plan to go?

Does this affect you?

Have a comment?

Log on to semissourian.com