Hampton Ballet Theatre School Presents ‘The Nutcracker’

The Hampton Ballet Theatre School (HBTS) is kicking off the holiday season with its 14th annual presentation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker,” at Southampton High School. The iconic show, which runs December 1 to 3, features dancing angels, snowflakes and flowers, as the star of the show, Clara, tries to save the Nutcracker Prince from the evil Mouse King.

Sara Jo Strickland, the director of HBTS, is the show’s choreographer. She said the performance marks the first full return to the stage since the pandemic hit nearly four years ago.

“It’s a huge cast,” she said. “It’s really great. The past few years because of COVID have been a good cast, but this year, we have a big cast.”

The cast for the HBTS production range in age from four-year-olds to adult community members. Some parents of children in the production even step in to play the adult guests in the party scene. The dance parents, in fact, are instrumental in getting the show off the ground each year

“It is pretty much parent-run,” admitted Strickland. “They run the front of the house, help backstage, and it’s a big family.”

Despite the tight-knit community HBTS builds over the course of prepping the show each year, the audience comes from all over Long Island.

“Every year, people come back and enjoy it,” she said. “And it’s easier than going to New York City. So a lot of people come year after year, and they don’t even have a kid in it. They come from the North Fork, Hampton Bays, Quogue and Bellport, all those areas. So it’s growing in terms of recognition. And hopefully, it’ll continue to grow outside of the community.”

“The Nutcracker” is a big show and Strickland explains that it teaches the dancers about personal responsibility and hard work, right from the audition stage. The older dancers prepare variations, but the casting choices are difficult every year and depend on a number of factors besides talent.

“I always tell the kids it depends on how many years they’ve been studying ballet,” said Strickland. “It depends on their skill level. It depends on the run of the show and the costumes. We have a costume collection that we use year to year. So sometimes it’s an issue in terms of casting.”

Strickland added casting can also sometimes come down to an artistic choice, difficult for others to understand. She sometimes knows kids trying out and knows when they’re the right person for the role.

“It can come down to just me, you know, wanting that person in that role,” she said.

The older girls, especially the seniors in the troupe, tend to get the most advanced roles, especially if it’s their last year before graduating from high school and they have been practicing for years. Strickland hires male dancers as guest artists from New York City to partner with them. The casting process is always an emotional and stressful one, said Strickland, who wants all of her dancers to be happy. To spread out the top roles, she is casting two Claras and two Fritzs this year who will dance the role in alternate performances.

“There are only a few places for a lot of kids that want that role,” she said. “They understand they get other roles, and they’re happy, but yeah, it’s the part I don’t like the best.”

On the flip side, Strickland loves working with dancers in rehearsal. Several seniors recently graduated from the program, making room for new and exciting dancers who are looking forward to showing off their skills.”

“We really have a brand new crop of dancers coming into major roles,” said Strickland. “So it’s very exciting for me, because I’ve been teaching them for a while. They’re dancing on point for the first time in bigger roles. Rehearsing them in the studio is a lot of fun because there’s a lot of excitement from these young dancers. They’re so excited it’s contagious. It really feeds me to work with them because it’s the future of the company.”

The schedule for rehearsal is intense. Strickland is at the studio from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The older kids rehearse for hours on Sundays. The Saturday after Thanksgiving was the first costume rehearsal at the studio, so the designer can see what needs to be fixed. Starting the Monday after Thanksgiving, the dancers hit the ground running with rehearsals in the theater.

“The week of the show is just a matter of running and practicing and making it better,” said Strickland. “With kids, you want them to feel prepared. Professionals can come in the week of the show and learn what they’re doing, and kids can’t, so they get anxious and nervous. I try to prepare them as much as possible before we get to the theater, and then they can just enjoy and do it over and over again.”

The children involved in “The Nutcracker” want to be there, so the audience will be able to feel their excitement. HBTS’s “The Nutcracker” is an optional workshop that dancers sign up for and know going in they will need to dedicate the time. By opening night, Strickland finds that their confidence is soaring, and their skill level has gone up because they’ve been challenged for quite a few months, regardless of their age.

“Even the little four-year-olds, they come away with it with this sense of pride and confidence,” said Strickland. “They feel so proud of themselves. It’s funny because the moms of the four-year-olds are all nervous about if they can do the show. And I’m like, ‘Oh, yes, you’re gonna be the tired one.’”

Strickland tries to put her own creative and choreographic spin on the show each year. She updates it according to the level and skill of her dancers. It’s not based on any one ballet; everyone has their own spin on the classic.

“I danced ‘The Nutcracker’ many times when I danced, and my director of choreography is in me, so a lot of that comes from when I danced, but over the years, things have changed,” he said.

The ballet features costumes designed and hand-sewn by Yuka Silvera, Strickland and Kate McManus. Lighting design is by Ron Esposito. HBTS Pro Student Level 8 advanced dancers will all dance featured roles with special guest artists from New York City. Maya Leathers will dance the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy, partnered by guest artist James Monroe Stevko. Summer Lillie and Avery McCleland will share the role of Snow Queen, partnered by Amar Smalls. Dew Drop will be shared by Olivia Quinn and Leila Genender, partnered by Alessio Crognale Roberts. Lauren Rosario will be sharing the role of Arabian Princess with Avery McCleland, both partnered by Smalls.

Performances of HBTS’s “The Nutcracker” are Friday, December 1, at 7 p.m., Saturday, December 2, at 1 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 3, at 2 p.m. at Southampton High School, 141 Narrow Lane, Southampton. Advance tickets are $25 to $45 ($30 to $50 on the day of the performance). Premium and orchestra seating is available at rates for adults and ages 12 and under. Group rates for all performances are available for 10 or more people. A student rate of $15 is available on the day of performance. For tickets and information, visit hamptonballettheatreschool.com.