The Nutcracker

Anticipate. Dancers wait in the wings for their turn to shine on stage. There is more to the Nutcracker than what we see as the audience. Photo courtesy of Astro Mullens.

The Nutcracker, one of Vashon's annual performances, is highly anticipated every year. It is a huge production that takes months to prepare and tons of participants, always resulting in a spectacular show. But what the audience sees does not display all the work that is done for this project, there is so much going on behind the scenes that makes it all possible.

Dancing in this show means a lot of commitment, as rehearsal hours can be very time consuming. This is especially true as older students must juggle both their schedules, homework, and personal lives while also having to remember all their dances.

“Leading up to nutcracker our schedules get crazy busy. Usually, we rehearse 2-3 times a week, but closer to the show it could be every weekday. We sometimes have days where you could be rehearsing from right after school to 8:30,” senior dancer Grace Harvey explained.

But even though it can get a little hectic sometimes, overall this process is one that everybody gets to look forward to each year. The Nutcracker is a tradition that teaches students, showcasing the extent of everyone's talent, and always pays off in the end.

“I really like the rehearsal process. Reviewing the choreography from last year, and teaching it to new people is really fun, and gets me in the holiday spirit,” Edie Lopez, a ninth grader and another longtime dancer, expressed. 

Dancers can either be part of a class dance or have a solo. Characters such as the Rat King, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Clara are all main roles that are highly sought after, but each dancer has their own roles that they have enjoyed playing or are hoping to play in the future.

“This year I have the role of the Rat Queen. It is one of the main roles in act 1 so it's really fun to get to do that,” Beau Johns, a tenth grader and another dancer explained. 

Not only does the Nutcracker do a good job of showcasing the more experienced dancers, it also has parts for all ages and levels. This show gives the younger dancers an ability to learn and grow by seeing how older dancers perform.

“We do a thing during show week called ‘ballet buddies’, which pairs the older dancers with another little kid in the younger classes, to write notes to each other, give flowers, and visit before shows. I think it's so sweet to be able to connect with the younger kids, and it helps take some of the stress off of dancing,” Harvey shared.

In addition to the dancers, there are teams that build the sets, backstage managers, sound and lighting technicians, and of course costume designers who are all essential to this production. 

“When you add everyone up, it takes about 182 people to make The Nutcracker happen each year. It’s truly a full-community effort, and every single role matters,” Vadne White, a dance teacher and main producer of The Nutcracker stated. 

Even though this show is a tradition both on Vashon and all over the world, VCA loves to mix things up and add different elements to keep the audience engaged while still holding onto that Christmas magic. This year they added new set pieces such as a picturesque holiday card that were sure to bring the story to life as well as a few dances such as Chocolate and Marzipan that had been completely re-choreographed. 

This performance will be here each year growing along with its dancers and participants. So make sure to show up in the future to support your fellow classmates, because you won’t regret it!