When Emily Price’s family heard about a special production of The Nutcracker '06, they knew right away that they wanted to be involved.

“Last year was the first year Vermont did its own production of the Nutcracker without importing dancers to fill the lead roles,” explains Emily.  “Although we have a Guest Star coming to play our Sugar Plum’s cavalier, the rest of the dancers are local. Our family immediately got involved when we heard about it through Vermont Ballet Theater School.”

Emily and her three sisters aren’t the only ones in The Nutcracker— her parents and grandparents are performing, too!  Her parents, Tom and Martina, play Clara’s parents in the party scene, while her grandparents, Hugh and Lorli, portray Clara’s grandparents.

Emily, who has been dancing for almost ten years, is playing numerous roles, including a Snowflake, Flower, Chinese dancer, and Candy Cane Queen.  Her older sister Becky (also a TPS student) is playing a Flower, Snowflake, Spanish dancer, and Marzipan dancer, while younger sisters Addie and Lisi play an Angel and Mini Mouse, respectively.

“There are still some rolls that haven’t been decided yet that Becky and I will hopefully play,” says Emily.  “These include Soldier doll, Columbine, Harlequin, and Arabian.”

It’s taking a lot of hard work to prepare for this performance—Emily rehearses seven hours a week in addition to her regular dance classes.

The Nutcracker '06 will run for six performances on December 2nd, 8th, 9th, and 10th.

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Meredith King is dancing in another kind of production.  The 14-year-old TPSer will be starring in The Nutcracker All Jazzed Up this month.  Although she’s been dancing for less than five years, she was asked to take on the role of Clara in her dance school’s performance.

Meredith says that she normally dances about five hours a week and rehearses for “The Nutcracker” twice a week, but adds, “[T]he week of the performance we will rehearse every day.  She usually does ballet and pointe, but has recently taken up lyrical and tap.

“In this I will be doing Ballet, Pointe, and Lyrical,” she says.  “But there are also Tap and Jazz pieces involved.”

Even though it’s a big role, Meredith says that she’s “not at all” nervous about playing Clara.  But she’s not sure what her favorite part is.

“I enjoy learning how to do lifts.  That is something I’ve never done before.  But the Nutcracker is in college and doesn’t go to our dance school.”

The Nutcracker All Jazzed Up runs for two performances on December 1st and 2nd.