Springfield News-Sun: What you might not know about Dayton Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker’

11 December 2019

Chances are that by now, both Tchaikovsky’s beautiful music and the story of little Clara and her magical journey to the Land of the Sweets are quite familiar.

But there are some things you may not know about the Dayton Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” that’s slated for 10 upcoming performances at the Schuster Center from Friday, Dec. 13 through Monday, Dec. 23.

Accompanied by the full Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Neal Gittleman, the cast will include dancers from Dayton Ballet II and the Dayton Ballet School as well as 100 children from 30 different schools throughout our area. The Ballet’s artistic director Karen Russo Burke is the choreographer.

A female nutcracker?

For the first time in its history, the Dayton Ballet has cast a professional female dancer in the role of the Nutcracker. The company’s Miranda Dafoe will be sharing the role with a male dancer who will perform in the alternative cast. “She will represent the strength and dedication of our female military soldiers,” Burke says.

Read the full article in the Springfield News-Sun.