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Advocate Editorial Board opinion: Dancers' commitment to excellence shows

  • By the Advocate Editorial Board
  • Originally published December 5, 2012 at 6:12 p.m., updated December 5, 2012 at 6:12 p.m.

Christmas brings to mind many things. Lights, decorations, seasonal music are just part of the picture that surfaces every year. Christmas in Victoria would not be the same without the annual performance of "The Nutcracker."

This year, the Victoria Ballet Theatre will begin showing Tchaikovsky's ballet on Thursday at 8 p.m. There will also be showings 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. This year's performance will feature more than 200 people.

This production is a yearly gem, and we are proud to see it coming to the stage once again. Every year since 1985, the ballet has been growing and improving this production, and this year is expected to be another spectacular performance. It is true, the story is always the same, but such a beautiful, inspiring production brings us back year after year.

We are sad to see four of the performers will be taking part in this performance for the last time. Ashley Fajkus, Ainsley Tharp, Kathryn McCoy and Madison Elder - who are all featured in our GET OUT section - are all high school seniors who will be leaving Victoria to go to college next year. Each of these young women have taken part in "The Nutcracker" for years, ever since they were little girls, and we will miss their talents in the years to come.

While the music plays the lovely, often lilting melodies of the ballet, it is the dancers who make the fantastic tale of Clara and her enchanted prince come to life, and we are proud to see so much area talent come together every year to create this show. From the theater's Artistic Director Brenda Tally to the students who put so much effort into learning the dances and coming to rehearsal in addition to their usual school work and activities, as well as everyone involved with props, sets, makeup and costumes, it is a team effort that brings this story to life, and we applaud everyone who has become invested in this production. It takes months of hard work, often involving injuries and emotional struggle, but we applaud everyone for their impressive level of commitment to bring an excellent performance to Victoria.

We applaud the Victoria Ballet Theatre for all the hard work put in to make this production a success. After years of growth and excellence, we look forward to another set of impressive, moving performances by both area dancers and professionals.

This editorial reflects the views of the Victoria Advocate's editorial board.