'Nutcracker' returns to Lake Zurich this weekend

The holiday classic “The Nutcracker” will make its annual appearance in Lake Zurich this weekend, with performances both Saturday and Sunday.

The production is put on by the Illinois Youth Dance Theatre, a nonprofit dance company affiliated with the for-profit, Deer Park-based Center for Ballroom and Dance.

“Everybody knows the story,” said Lou Dixon, who owns the dance studio with his wife, Jean, and artistic Director Alyce Keaggy Brinkmann. “It's a Christmas show and it's a great time of year.”

The traditional show has become a family affair for many, including Gail Marshall, a IYDT trustee who has two daughters in the performance. Marshall also will be helping with the performance as a prop mistress and a stage left manager

“The story itself is such a holiday tradition, it's so much about family,” Marshall said. “There's the whole thrill of being on stage, the colors, the costumes and the storyline about the young girl's dream.”

Marshall's daughter, Grace, will have at least four different roles in this weekend's play. As a senior company member at 14 years old, this will be her eighth time doing the production.

“I've been dancing since I was 3 and it's been an amazing experience,” Grace said. “It's just one of those things that if I ever stopped doing it, I wouldn't know what to do.”

Grace and the other dancers have been practicing since September, including all day on Saturdays.

“It's been a lot of work but in the end it's all worth it,” Grace said.

Before coming to the Illinois Youth Dance Theater, Keaggy Brinkmann danced professionally with the Milwaukee Ballet and is the main choreographer for this production.

“‘The Nutcracker' is very dear to me, I've had 35 years of working on this show professionally,” Keaggy Brinkmann said. “It's definitely a mainstay to our Christmas season.”

The cast usually features 40-60 cast members from children under 5 to adults. Keaggy Brinkmann said she enjoys seeing the dancers move into better roles in ‘The Nutcracker' each year as they grow as artists.

“I love seeing their improvement and their enthusiasm toward something they want to be good at,” she said. “Being a part of their goals is quite an honor.”

The show will also feature dancer Ariel Cisneros, a guest artist and a member of the Joffrey Ballet.

Tickets are $15-$25, available at the door at the Lake Zurich Performing Arts Center at Lake Zurich High School, 300 Church St.

Saturday performances are at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.; followed by a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday.