Dear Friends,
This year marks Brandon Ballet’s 30th year of operation, and through the many ups and downs of nearly thirty years in business, we have consistently devoted ourselves to cultivating the highest caliber of classical ballet education for Brandon and its surrounding areas. We thank you for supporting that vision (and local artists) by attending today’s performance.
Our Season of Celebration is officially in full swing, and in some sense, as we continue to navigate the extensive paradigm shift that all arts institutes have faced following the 2020 pandemic, we are re-discovering and re-appreciating the traditions of old; namely, the beauty of the theater and live performance.
There is something quite wondrous that occurs in live performance as the choreographer’s stream-of-thought transposes onto the dancer through repetition in the studio, and then from the dancer to the audience onstage in one irrevocable showing. It is a unique call and response conversation, featuring ravishing displays of physicality and, as we saw in our Cinderella production this past April, the occasional ridiculous quirks of playfulness. Classical ballet, in particular, with its elegant centuries-old history and synchronous relationship with classical music, finds a captivating balance between grandeur and intimacy, and with the little bits of spontaneity (for better or worse) that live performance adds, everyone involved is able to engage with these timeless classical stories and share with one another in a beautifully distilled moment.
Enjoy the show,
Brentwood Townend | Artistic Director for the 30th Season
Alice H. Bock | Executive Director
Courtney Moody | Rehearsal Assistant
Edmarilys Alverio | Extra Rehearsal Assistant
Act I – A Party, A Battle, and Flurries of Snow
It’s a cold Christmas Eve in 19th-century Germany, and magician extraordinaire Herr Drosselmeyer welcomes an assortment of guests into his home for a Christmas party, including the Stahlbaum family and their children, Clara and Fritz. Drosselmeyer entertains everyone with various magical tricks and toys, including lifelike dolls that dance for the party guests, but none of these compared to the wooden nutcracker soldier gifted to none other than Clara, the heroine of our story. Jealousy overwhelms Fritz, who tries to take the nutcracker from Clara and accidentally breaks it. Drosselmeyer uses his magic to repair the nutcracker, and after a few more shenanigans and one final grand dance, the party concludes. As party guests depart, Drosselmeyer insists that the Stahlbaums stay the night to wait out the cold, and they agree. Unable to sleep, Clara sneaks out to the living room to hold her precious new nutcracker before falling asleep on the living room couch. As Clara sleeps, Drosselmeyer’s magic takes over, and rats frightfully awaken Clara from her dreams. Drosselmeyer transforms Clara’s nutcracker into a life-sized Nutcracker Prince with his own army of soldiers to combat the threat. As the war is waged, the Rat Queen, leader of the rats, emerges and nearly bests the Nutcracker Prince…until Clara steps in, bravely throwing her shoe to distract the Rat Queen long enough that the
Nutcracker Prince can defeat her. As a reward for her bravery, Drosselmeyer whisks Clara and the Nutcracker Prince to the Land of Snow. Drosselmeyer dances with the Snow Queen, and a rushing flurry of snowflakes dance around Clara and the Prince. As the snowflakes settle, Drosselmeyer summons a magical sleigh to take Clara and the Nutcracker Prince to their next destination, the Land of Sweets.
Act II – Journey through the Land of Sweets
Drosselmeyer, Clara, and the Nutcracker Prince are welcomed into the Land of Sweets by the Sugar Plum Fairy, her Cavalier, and a host of angels. Drosselmeyer invites friendly faces from around the world to honor Clara with dances and bestow gifts upon her. Once the fun is done, the welcoming hosts of the Land of Sweets wave their goodbyes and send Clara back to Drosselmeyer’s home. She awakens on the couch in the spot where she originally fell asleep and wonders: was it real, or was it all a dream? As she stands, she discovers the basket filled with gifts from the Land of Sweets, and she beholds her precious Nutcracker with newfound wonder and delight.
30th Season Artistic Director Brentwood J. Townend
Executive Director Alice H. Bock
Rehearsal Assistant Courtney Moody
Extra Rehearsal Assistant Edmarilys Alverio
Administration Stephanie Perez
Administration Intern Jaiden Alberti
Brandon Ballet Board of Directors
President Kristie Hardcastle
Treasurer Mary Ellen Thacker
Secretary Carolyn Bird
Outreach Coordinator Kimberly Lasher
Member at Large Roger Bock
Member at Large Mona Baker
President Emerita Susan Heath
Click here to meet the company dancers!
Our productions also feature character roles.
Lara Labastie
Nelson Howard
Issac Nieves
Their amazing steps begin with yours! We want to express our deepest “thank you” to the sponsors below who have given money to continue the excellence in training and performance that Brandon Ballet has.
Diamond – $50,000+
Platinum – $10,000+
Brown and Brown Insurance
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners
Gold – $5,000+
Chris Heath of Align Right Realty
Silver – $2,500+
Morgan & Morgan
Bronze – $1,000+
Ian Lasher
Dr. John Cherry
Associates – $600 – $999
Susan Villella
Contributors – $300 – $599
Samuel Higgenbottom
William and Emely Karnes
JDRN Consulting
LaToya Peterson
Angels – $175 – $299
Alice H. Bock
Jeanine and Micahel DePaola
Johanna Kalinowksi
Gurpreet Kaur
LaToya Peterson
NAB Trucking Inc.
Kimberly Lasher
Patrons – $100 – $174
Arnold Dentistry P.A.
Alisa Fike
Diane Schuch
Benefactors – $50 – $99
Natalie Farcheg
Sponsors – $10 – $49
Beta Sulek
Kinga Tyszka
Lara Labastie
Your giving means the world to us and another season to pursue their passion. Your tax-deductible gift of any amount is greatly appreciated! Contact us today at 813-684-4282 or dance@brandonballet.org to see how you can become a sponsor today!
Coming THIS spring! – We’re planning our 30th Anniversary Spring Gala! Unveil the Magic of Spring: A Dance Gala Extravaganza! Don’t miss out on an evening of Elegance, Rhythm, and Grace!
Our 30th season boasted a plethora of performances and events to share the love of dance with the community.
Nutcracker
Wine Pairings
Children’s Tea Parties
FREE Community Performances
Sensory-Friendly Performances
Beers for Barres
Performances at the Plant Museum
and more!
Stay tuned to find out what’s in store for our 31st season!
Business Supporters of Brandon Ballet
