by William L. Spence
Friday December 11, 2009
Reprinted with permission from the
Lewiston Tribune

A classic ballet with a new Western theme prances into Lewiston Saturday, with Main Street Dance Studio's benefit production of "The Nutcracker on the Prairie."

Studio owner Kim Haverfield said the script was written by Micki Panttaja at the University of Idaho. It features the same music and basic concept as Tchaikovsky's original ballet, only it's set in the American West during the Civil War era. Rather than European aristocrats and military officers, this version has cowboys and cowgirls, mice dressed like Union soldiers, and dancers dressed in period costumes reminiscent of "Little House on the Prairie."

Another major difference is the number of people involved. A traditional "Nutcracker" might have a cast of about 70, at most, Haverfield said. This version features 120 local dancers; they range in age from 3 to adult, with an average age of 10.

"It's crazy to try to do anything with 120 kids, (but) we made some of the core dances larger," she said. "Our battle scenes are larger, and for some traditional solos we have two or three dancers. The baby mice are our 3- and 4-year-olds. They're hysterical. They steal the show. It will be very entertaining."

Jenna Clark plays Clarabell, with Jim Stutzman as Hans, Clarabell's long-lost betrothed, who went missing in the war. With the magic of Christmas and the help of many "dancing dolls," Clarabell is transported to the Land of the Sweets, where the two lovers are reunited.

Haverfield said it's "amazing" for a relatively small community to put on a full-length version of the "Nutcracker." The dancers have been rehearsing since September. Some have put in 15 to 20 hours a week in practice time, which is a lot of work for a two-show run.

"For professional dancers, there's a 'Nutcracker' season," she said. "They'll do one or two shows a day for six weeks, from before Thanksgiving all the way up to Christmas."

This is the first year that Main Street Dance has put on the "Nutcracker." Eventually, Haverfield hopes to have four different Christmas shows that rotate over an eight-year period, so her students don't always have to do the same ballet.

"We're hoping it becomes a tradition, just like lighting the lights in the park," she said.

If you go

What: "The Nutcracker on the Prairie"

Where: Lewiston High School auditorium

When: 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday

Admission: $5

Of note: Net proceeds will go to Family Promise of the Lewis-Clark Valley, a nonprofit group providing assistance to homeless families and other families in crisis.