Dancers, volunteers will bring "The Nutcracker" to life

Morgan McMurray practices the Snow Queen dance for "The Nutcracker" performance which will be held Dec. 13. McMurray, like many of the ballet dancers that will perform, has been dancing since she was 2 or 3, around 15 years. Ballet dancers, jazz dancers and tumblers will all be featured. [Click to enlarge]

"The Nutcracker" ballet will come to life in the Le Mars Community Middle School auditorium this Christmas season.

About 100 dancers will do ballet, tumbling and jazz steps as part of The Dance Studio Performance Company and the Le Mars Art Council's 6 p.m. Dec. 13 presentation of "The Nutcracker."

And producers are asking for help to make it a success.

Tina McMurray, owner and director of The Dance Studio, in Le Mars and Sheldon, is asking for volunteers to step forward.

"We are going to need people to help with set design, stage lighting, helping with the kids backstage and program design," McMurray said. "That's why we're trying to get more community involvement."

The response has been favorable so far, said Bridget Agriopoulos, head ballet teacher at The Dance Studio.

"Once we set our minds to this, it seems like a few people came out of the woodwork to help," Agriopoulos said.

There are six dance instructors involved in the production and all of them are donating their time, McMurray added.

The dancers performing in "The Nutcracker" include adults from the community, 10 students from the Sheldon dance studio, a couple Northwestern College students and students from The Dance Studio in Le Mars.

All 29 dancers from The Dance Studio Performance Company, which is a nonprofit organization, will also perform.

Tickets for the show are on sale now. They cost $5 for children through high school students, $6 for adults and $8 at the door.

"We're just trying to cover our costs for stage rental and we had to purchase a couple of costumes, and we have to purchase some items and scenery and stuff," McMurray said. "We are not doing it for the money. We're just hoping to give back."

She would like people to buy their tickets in advance instead of at the door.

"We're kind of hoping to get a head count before that day comes to make sure we are going to cover our expenses," McMurray said.

The idea to produce "The Nutcracker" here started in February of this year as a possible fundraiser for a local organization.

"Bridget had already put a lot of time and energy into planning costuming for our show," McMurray said. "She had done a lot of thinking on the choreography so when the fundraiser idea fell through for that organization, I just said well let's do our own."

"The Nutcracker" is the story of a nutcracker who comes to life in a little girl's dream. The adventure that follows includes a party scene, a fight scene, the land of snow, the land of sweets and a Sugar Plum Fairy.

Agriopoulos has been a ballet dancer since age 4 and has produced "The Nutcracker" 12 or 13 times in places like Colorado, Nebraska and Chicago.

"I have to work with different dancers and different techniques so the choreography is different for each time," Agriopoulos said.

That's why for this production of "The Nutcracker" it's not all about ballet.

"Some students don't take ballet and they would like to participate so we have tumbling and there's segments where that is very appropriate," Agriopoulos said. "It's entertainment for everybody and we are having so much fun with rehearsals."

McMurray said they want to use this year's production as a stepping stone for future presentations of "The Nutcracker."

"We really would like to make this more community-minded next year," McMurray said.

She and Agriopoulos see their adaptation of "The Nutcracker" as fun for all.

"I think it's great for the kids," McMurray said.

"This is really family-oriented for the Christmas season," Agriopoulos added.

Anyone interested in volunteering or purchasing tickets can call The Dance Studio at 712-546-9217.