Island Dance Academy, under the direction of Suen Hughes, presents the classic Christmas ballet, “The Nutcracker,” this weekend at the Palace Theater in downtown Hilo. ADVERTISING Island Dance Academy, under the direction of Suen Hughes, presents the classic Christmas ballet,
Island Dance Academy, under the direction of Suen Hughes, presents the classic Christmas ballet, “The Nutcracker,” this weekend at the Palace Theater in downtown Hilo.
Performances are 7 p.m. tonight and Saturday with a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee.
Set to timeless music, with ornate sets and stunning costumes, lively choreography and quality dancers, and a story full of Christmas magic, it is a tradition no holiday season would be complete without.
“The Nutcracker,” with music by Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky and choreography by Marius Petipa, is based on the book “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffman.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of Island Dance Academy’s production of “The Nutcracker” at the Palace, with its first full-length production in 1999. Adding to the performances this year are new costumes, new choreography and a cast of 65 select dancers.
The cast includes Kayla Rimando as Clara; Lauren Okinaka as the ballerina doll, Tatiana Ferreira and Mariko Nakano as the Pierrot and Pierrine dolls, Trey Saunders and Peter Hughes as Drosselmeyer, Megan Kimata as Fritz, Jerrid Eyer as the Nutcracker, Nawai Makua and Alexia Iwamoto as the Rat King, Marisa DelaCruz as the Snow Queen, Keala Bernabe as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Erin Hakoda as Spanish Chocolate and Katelyn Shirai as the Dew Drop Fairy.
Tickets are $10 general admission, $8 seniors (60 and older) and children (12 and younger), and are available at the Most Irresistible Shop and the Palace box office. For credit card orders, call 934-7010.
This is a co-production with the historic Palace Theater. A generous portion of the proceeds goes to the theater and its renovation projects.
For more information, contact Hughes at 961-3622 or islanddanceacademy@yahoo.com.
