The Footworks Youth Ballet dancers, led by artistic director Kirsten Oakley, will present “The Nutcracker,” Dec. 15-17 at Ventura College Performing Arts Center.
The classical two-act ballet, set to music by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15; 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16; and 1 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17.
Students from Footworks Youth Ballet perform short scenes from ‘The Nutcracker’ for seniors. Credit: Courtesy photo
Students from Footworks Youth Ballet perform short scenes from ‘The Nutcracker’ for seniors. Credit: Courtesy photoFor tickets, visit www.footworksyouthballet.org.
Oakley said she wanted to bring the magic of the holiday season to some community members who cannot attend the performance, so she partnered with senior living facilities to present portions of the ballet classic to their residents.
Over the last few weeks, 15 costumed dancers performed a variation of “The Nutcracker” for the seniors. The dancers have been met with appreciation from audience members, some of whom shared stories of their own histories either dancing or attending the ballet.
Footworks Youth Ballet will also offer two outreach performances to elementary school children. Nearly 400 local students will take field trips to the Ventura College Performing Arts Center to attend the ballet. For some, this will be their first time seeing live ballet.
For the Dec. 15-17 shows, a free family educational lecture and story time will begin one hour before the performance. The “Nutcracker” story will be explained, costumes will be shown, and there will be a brief discussion about the history of the classic ballet.
Footworks Youth Ballet dancers represent students from throughout west Ventura County. Footworks Youth Ballet is a nonprofit ballet company in Ventura.
