2021 FEATURED GUEST ARTISTS
RYO MUNAKATA (Sugar Plum Cavalier)
Ryo Munakata started classical ballet training at the age of five at Etoile Ballet Studio studying under Misako Kawamura, Sergiy Savoschenko and other renowned instructors. He began entering in dance competitions at the age of ten and expanded his horizons by taking modern ballet lessons with Yuko Takahashi at 13.
Since 2010, Munakata studied at American Ballet Theatre’s (ABT) summer intensive program in New York City by recommendation of dance instructor, Hilary Cartwright. He trained at the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at ABT from 2014-2016 and Manhattan Youth Ballet from 2015-2016.
Munakata joined Minnesota Ballet as a company member from 2016-2018 and Ballet West as a company member from 2018-2019 where he performed Rubies and Diamonds in Balanchine’s Jewels. He returned to Minnesota Ballet for the 2019-2020 season and has joined Rochester City Ballet for the 2020-2021 season. In 2018 Munakata was a finalist in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, MS and a semi-finalist in the 2019 International Ballet Choreography Competition in Beijing, China.
ANDREW LESTER (Nutcracker Prince)
Andrew Lester is an award-winning professional dancer based in St. Paul. Andrew graduated with his BFA in Dance from the University of Minnesota in 2006 and has gone on to become a staple of the Twin Cities dance community for almost 20 years. He was a full-time company member of James Sewell Ballet for six seasons. He has also been dancing with local modern company Shapiro & Smith Dance for over 12 years. As a freelance artist, he has collaborated with a variety of esteemed Minnesota companies, including Twin Cities Ballet of MN, Metropolitan Ballet, Continental Ballet, Eclectic Edge Ensemble, Ethnic Dance Theatre, Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, and the Minnesota Opera. In 2012, he was honored to receive a Sage Award for Outstanding Performer for his work in Shapiro & Smith’s Family and Joseph Morrissey's One. Career highlights include performing for modern dance legend Merce Cunningham, studying under the tutelage of celebrated ballerina Anna-Marie Holmes, and premiering Titicut Follies: The Ballet with James Sewell Ballet in New York City and at the Festival de Danse in Cannes, France.
SAMANTHA HOWE (Sugar Plum)
Samantha received her early ballet training at Connecticut Concert Ballet under the direction of Wendy Fish-Lawrence and David Lawrence. Originally from Deerfield, Massachusetts, she left home to train at Walnut Hill School for the Arts during her high school years. Upon graduating in 2017, Sam joined Ballet Austin’s fellowship program and second company where she had the opportunity to perform George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie, and Petipa’s Paquita Pas de Trois. She then joined Ballet Tucson as a senior apprentice and is currently dancing with Rochester City Ballet. Being in the corps de ballet of George Balanchine’s Concerto Barroco has been her favorite moment on stage so far in her professional career.
Event COVID-19 Preparedness Plan
Safety and screening
Staff and visitors attending the event are asked to self-screen for COVID-19 symptoms using the Stay Safe MN Health Screening Checklist. Staff and visitors exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 during their visit will be asked to leave the venue.
COVID vaccines are being administered across Minnesota. We encourage attendees to get vaccinated before attending. Vaccines are the best way to prevent infection and limit the spread of COVID-19 to others. For more information, see the MDH COVID-19 Vaccine webpage.
Masks
Masks are required for all guests ages 3 and older, regardless of vaccination status, except people with health conditions. Face coverings may be temporarily removed while eating or drinking provided that physical distancing is maintained. If staff and visitors arrive without a mask, masks are available at the box office.
Ticketing
Ticket purchases are encouraged to be completed prior to arriving to Event. However, walk-up sales will be permitted and patrons can purchase tickets at the Box Office. All patrons are strongly encouraged to use mobile tickets, delivered to their personal devices.
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Photo Gallery of Nutcracker 2020
Repertoire
Peter and the Wolf
Great Halloween Adventure
Carnival of the Animals
"Peter and the Wolf' is the tale of a brave little boy, who together with his friend the bird, traps a frightening wolf who is threatening the safety of the village," according to a news release.
"Musical instruments in the orchestral accompaniment represent each character in the ballet; narration throughout the performance helps the audience follow the story. The narrative assists even the youngest audience members in appreciating the delightful dances of Peter, Bird, Cat, Duck, Wolf and even Grandfather."
Carnival of the Animals
Great Halloween Adventure
Carnival of the Animals
This ever-popular musical work by Camille Saint-Saëns is now enhanced with dance steps in a new and thoroughly entertaining Ballet. The Carnival has never been so alive! The animals are having a carnival. There's the majestic lion, the braying mules, the dancing elephant, and the bouncy kangaroos. Even the fossils invited! With following most famous Dying Swan choreographed by Michael Fokin for Anna Pavlova. A timeless children's classic Carnival of the Animals Is clever, charming and musically sophisticated.
Great Halloween Adventure
Great Halloween Adventure
Great Halloween Adventure
Original Halloween Adventure — an exciting (and only slightly spooky) dance production for the whole family. Spooky things can happen on Halloween, but the forces of Good are very strong, and Good will win out in the end.
Paquita
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Great Halloween Adventure
Grand Pas from the ballet “Paquita” is known worldwide for its choreography by M. Petipa and music by Leon Minkus. "Colorful costumes, inventive choreography and ageless music combine to make a memorable experience for theatergoers of all ages," the release said.
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Les Sylphides (Chopiniana)
Originally entitled Chopiniana, this ballet was first premiered in St. Petersburg in 1907 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint PetersburgRestructured and presented in the first 1909 Ballets Russes season in Paris under Diaghilev's title, Les Sylphides, Fokine created this dance suite unifying music and movement in an implied drama of Romanticism. Les Sylphides is famous as the first "abstract" classical ballet without narrative structure or defined characters.