Schimmel Center to Welcome Gelsey Kirkland Ballet's THE NUTCRACKER, 12/11-21

Schimmel Center at Pace University will host the return engagement of Gelsey Kirkland Ballet's production of the perennial holiday classic The Nutcracker. Due to the success of the production's debut last season at Schimmel Center, this year's production of The Nutcracker will be performed over the course of a special two-week engagement, running December 11-21. This 30-member company, under the artistic direction of Gelsey Kirkland and Michael Chernov, is comprised of nineteen dancers and eleven apprentices, and is based in Lower Manhattan.

The Nutcracker, composed by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, is the richly symbolic story about a young girl's journey through fear and darkness to the light of love. The Nutcracker is one of the most popular stories in the canon of classical ballet. Marie's transformation from child to princess begins with an unlikely gift from her godfather at a Christmas Eve party; an ugly doll that cracks nuts. Follow Marie's journey as she is menaced by dancing rats and ultimately rescued by the Nutcracker who leads her up the Christmas tree into the land of snow and beyond...into his kingdom. In the version presented by Gelsey Kirkland Ballet and Michael Chernov, Marie is an active participant in this dream, dancing the famous pas de deux with her Prince rather than observing her escort dance with the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Featuring original choreography by Co-Artistic Director Michael Chernov and assisted by Ms. Kirkland and Alexandra Lawler, this debut will showcase the talents of the company which consists of dancers from all over the world, including Brazil, Israel, and Japan. The Nutcracker will also feature a 70-member ensemble comprised of graduates and trainees of the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Classical Ballet.

The narrative is set against a Romantic backdrop of original sets including one re-made from a baroque theater that was part of a trove Gelsey Kirkland Ballet purchased at auction from New York City Opera in 2012. This purchase brought more than 1,000 costumes and five full sets to a GKA owned warehouse in East Orange, New Jersey.

One of the most celebrated prima ballerinas this country has produced, Gelsey Kirkland writes, "Each time I come back to The Nutcracker, I find more layers of meaning in the symbolic rite of passage of the child who journeys through some of life's dangers and finds her special Prince." At the age of twenty-five, Kirkland danced the lead role with Mikhail Baryshnikov in the American Ballet Theater production of The Nutcracker, which was filmed and became an annual holiday broadcast on PBS.

"I remember what a challenge it was for me to match my remarkable Russian partner in that production. It was my own rite of passage for me to understand how much work was involved in creating that kind of performance. And now I am blessed to be able to help the young dancers in our production of The Nutcracker, as they struggle to create that kind of beauty - which only comes from searching for the truth of each moment of the ballet, searching for the meaning and magic of the story. In a way, it is my gift to pass on to them what I learned, and their gift to share with our audience." Gelsey Kirkland's commitment to reviving the art of dramatic storytelling through ballet, combined with the enduring values of the original artistic piece, make Gelsey Kirkland Ballet's The Nutcracker a must see for all lovers of ballet this season. This production is sponsored by Gaynor Minden.

Tickets for Gelsey Kirkland Ballet's The Nutcracker at Schimmel Center at Pace University range from $39 to $59. The performance schedule is as follows: Thursday-Friday at 7:30pm; Saturday at 2pm & 7:30pm; and Sunday at 2pm. Student tickets are also available for $10 with proof of valid student ID; student tickets will be limited to two per valid student ID and must be purchased in-person at the Schimmel Center box office.

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