DeForest Dance Academy Preparing for First Annual Production of The Nutcracker

DeForest Dance Academy, which has studios in Glen Ellyn and Elmhurst, is gearing up for their first annual presentation of "The Nutcracker". Auditions were held in late September at their Glen Ellyn studio and since then, dancers from suburban Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Villa Park and Elmhurst have been working tirelessly under the direction of Miss Anna Hartje, while studio staff is building sets and preparing costumes. Everyone involved is excited to bring this magical holiday tradition to life on the stage of Barrows Auditorium.

The cast is made up of local dancers, mostly students at DeForest Dance Academy. The soloists /featured dancers are Ava Batz as Clara, Kira Campagna as the Rat Queen, Riley Blaeske as Ballerina Doll, Cora Hortatsos as Russian Doll, Quinn Dillon as Harlequin Doll, Annemarie Novack as Spanish soloist, Skylar Lupa as Arabian Princess, Julia Lagomarsino and Sophie Radke as the Snow Princesses, Carolyne Abel as the Dew Drop Fairy, Ana Clinton as the Rose Queen, Maggie Oplawski as the Rose Princess, Lucy Lawrence as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and special guest artist, Kenneth Owens as the Nutcracker.

There will be two performances on Saturday December 19th. One at 2pm and another at 7pm at Wheaton College Barrows Auditorium, 500 College Avenue in Wheaton. Tickets are available and can be ordered by calling DeForest Dance Academy at 630-469-3600.