The Nutcracker story begins with Clara and her family as they get ready for a party with their friends, when all of a sudden a mysterious magician, Drosselmeyer, shows up at the party to whisk Clara away to a magical adventure. Clara and the Nutcracker defeat the Mouse King and she is taken to the Land of Snow, the Kingdom of Sweets, where the Sugar Plum Fairy presents dances. The Nutcracker performance will be put on by The Dance Company and premieres Friday, December 16th at the CAST building with following performances on December 17th and 18th. The dancers have been preparing for this performance since the middle of October. The preparation includes lengthy practices every on the weekend as they get closer to opening night. They also have shorter practices at least twice during the weekdays to guarantee a perfect performance. This will be The Dance Company’s third year presenting The Nutcracker, the last ones being in 2017 and 2018.

Lucy Billotte, a dancer at The Dance Company, will be performing in the following dance numbers: soldier doll, the snowflakes, Marzipan, and dew drop. When asked which dance she enjoys the most she said, “The soldier dance is the only dance I have off of my point shoes, and I believe that it is more my style of dance.” She added that being with her friends makes the rehearsals and the whole experience more enjoyable. When asked what makes The Dance Company’s Nutcracker different from others, she explains, “The Dance Company is not super well-known for ballet but for jazz, so The Nutcracker lets the students showcase their hard work and prove that they can put on a great show in a short period of time.” This show is sold out this year, which shows that getting tickets right away is very important. Overall, this Nutcracker Showcase by The Dance Company will be a well put on show for the town of Clearfield to experience.