Addison students enchanted by festive virtual ballet of 'The Nutcracker'
The Addison Center for the Arts is proud to partner with the Salt Creek Ballet Company, The National Endowment for the Arts, and Addison Elementary District 4 to present a performance of “The Nutcracker” to hundreds of kindergarten to eighth-grade students during remote learning music classes in December.
In the past, the Addison Center for the Arts has hosted the Salt Creek Ballet at the Addison Trail High School auditorium for student performances.
Since the students couldn't be bused in as usual for a live performance this year, the Salt Creek Ballet produced a version of “The Nutcracker” that teachers could stream for their students during remote classes.
The Salt Creek Ballet always provide enriching study guides for the students and teachers to get the most out of this special performing arts experience.
The general music team for District 4, Kris Brokos, Elyse Willis, Jamie Mason, Lisa Kargl, Lawrence Underwood and Karlene Prieboy, give some inspiring insights into musical education in 2020: “It was so amazing to be able to see a new performance of 'The Nutcracker' during this challenging time of remote learning. The music team misses being able to put on concerts and doing large special events. During a normal school year, students are preparing for musicals, singing at tree lighting ceremonies, or learning choreography to dance as cups of hot chocolate or Frosty the Snowman in school performances. These social, cultural, and musical events create excitement and long-lasting memories. This virtual field trip to Salt Creek's beautiful ballet felt very special. Tchaikovsky's music and Salt Creek's costumes, scenery, and choreography, brought smiles to our student's faces, even over Zoom. There was an element of “the show must go on.”
“The dancers in masks performed socially distanced choreography and it made us feel that although it may be challenging, maybe we can still do big things in the time of COVID-19.”
Annette Leiber, president emeritus of the Addison Center, discusses the organization's partnership with the Salt Creek Ballet. “The Addison Center for the Arts is grateful to the National Endowment for the Arts for their flexibility in granting us the funds to bring a remote-learning production of The Salt Creek Ballet to the schools this year,” Leiber said. “We have partnered with the SCB for live performances many times over the years. Favorites for the public and parochial students have been 'The Carnival of the Animals' by Camille Saint-Saëns' and Tchaikovsky's 'The Nutcracker'.”
Study guides are provided to teachers and students to prepare them for the ballet. The costumes always hold a great interest for the children.”
Theater and dance performance opportunities are scarce during an epidemic. These are tough times for cultural nonprofit organizations. Most have had to cancel their fundraising events that keep them afloat financially.
If you can, please remember the Salt Creek Ballet Company and the Addison Center for the Arts when considering your end-of-year charity donations.
Both SCB and ACA have donation information on their websites: saltcreekballet.org and addisoncenterforthearts.org.