Clark County is flush with Nutcrackers this year. Five dance companies are undertaking either full-length productions of Tchaikovsky’s original 1892 ballet or adaptations with nods to local history or modern times.
In total, 446 people are dancing in Clark County’s “Nutcracker” performances this year, not to mention all those doing behind-the-scenes work of costuming, set decorating and orchestration. The youngest dancer is 3 years old and the oldest dancer is 78 (both dancing in the Riverside Performing Arts production). Most dancers have been rehearsing for four months to perfect every jeté and plié in time for opening night.
Below is a quick, chronological guide to local “Nutcracker” productions with information on time, location and tickets. Some productions do sell out so be sure to check websites before going for the most up-to-date details.
Vancouver Dance Theatre
When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Where: Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E. 18th St., Vancouver.
Tickets: $17 to $20 at www.vancouverdancetheatre.com
The nonprofit Vancouver Dance Theatre isn’t affiliated with any specific dance studio and dancers from any studio can audition for this production, and all receive a role. This is the dance company’s 48th production of “The Nutcracker.” Parents who once danced in the production often go on to watch their own children take the stage. Over the past five decades, the Vancouver Dance Theatre’s “Nutcracker” has given thousands of young performers the opportunity to share the spotlight.
Virtuosity Performing Arts Studio
When: 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Joyce Garver Theater, 1500 N.E. Garfield St., Camas
Tickets: $21 to $26 at vegagym.com/virtuosity-dance/
As guests enter the foyer, they’ll be transported to the Stahlbaum family’s Christmas Eve party and welcomed with cookies and other seasonal treats. Some parents of dancers will join their children in choreographed dancing. After enjoying refreshments, attendees will watch the remaining performance in the auditorium. The show features 116 dancers aged 5 to 50, including those in Virtuosity’s American Ballet Theater program.
Friends of DanceWorks
When: 7 p.m. Dec. 13 and 14; 2 p.m. Dec. 14; 1 p.m. Dec. 15
Where: Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E. 18th St., Vancouver
Tickets: $30 to $40 at danceworksperformingarts.com
This classic staging of Tchaikovsky’s ballet, best suited for viewers ages 4 and older, features lushly painted backdrops, intricate costumes and special effects. The production showcases 100 students and pre-professional dancers, telling the story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they journey through the Land of Snow and into the Kingdom of Sweets. The event includes a pointe shoe auction, basket raffle and bake sale. Proceeds go to Friends of DanceWorks, a nonprofit that provides scholarships for local dancers.
Columbia Dance
When: 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22
Where: Skyview Concert Hall, 1300 N.W. 139th St., Vancouver
Tickets: $20 to $25 at columbiadance.org box-office@columbiadance.org
This one-of-a-kind “Nutcracker” production takes its cues from the history of Fort Vancouver.
Audiences will see beavers fighting fur trappers, dancing wapato plants, children arriving by covered wagon, a mystical woman conjuring an abalone moon, shipwrecked castaways and salmon swimming upstream. The show opens at an 1840s Christmas party in the chief factor’s dining room at Fort Vancouver. John McLoughlin arrives with a fur trapper whose tales capture the imagination of young Cecilia Douglas and inspire her outlandish dream. An additional, sensory-friendly show is 6 p.m. Dec. 20 with softer music, more lights and buffer seats. Livestream viewing is also available.
Northwest Performing Arts Alliance and Riverside Performing Arts
When: Noon and 5 p.m. Dec. 21
Where: Fort Vancouver High School, 5700 E. 18th St., Vancouver
Tickets: $25 to $35 at northwestpaa.org/performances
“A Tale of the Nutcracker” is inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” and features 1950s-era costumes and set design. It takes place during a Christmas Eve party at the Williams’ residence, where Clara waits the arrival of her aunt, Debra Meier, who is bringing gifts for the children: toys from Meier & Frank, including a nutcracker. The party’s festive treats are later represented in the Land of Sweets. This production blends acrobatics, classical ballet and pointe, jazz and tap with music by Tchaikovsky and Duke Ellington.
