The Greenwich Ballet Academy Brings Westchester County A New 2014 Nutcracker Production

PORT CHESTER, N.Y. - Nov. 4, 2014 - PRLog -- The Greenwich Ballet Academy is extending its reach within the greater Westchester area by staging this year’s production of The Nutcracker at the White Plains Performing Arts Center (http://wppac.com/shows/nutcracker/). By bringing a new Nutcracker production to Westchester County, the Greenwich Ballet Academy hopes to bring their performance to a new and wider audience. The Academy was founded eight years ago with the mission of bringing the highest excellence in classical ballet education to the Westchester and Fairfield county regions.

The Greenwich Ballet Academy’s 2014 Nutcracker will be performed on Friday, December 5^th at 7 pm, and Saturday, December 6^th at 2 pm and 7 pm. Tickets may be purchased online at www.greenwichballetacademy.org. For more information please call (914) 305-4377.

“A group of parents knew that in order for their children to receive world class ballet training that would allow them to fulfill their dreams of becoming professional dancers, they would need to commute to New York City every day. We decided we had enough talent in our area to bring that quality of training to their doorstep,” said one of the founding parents, Tina Volkwein. The Academy has fulfilled this mission by producing dancers who have achieved and studied at the highest levels professionally, in international competitions, as well as at the top higher-education institutions.

The Greenwich Ballet Academy’s 2014 Nutcracker production is unique in that it draws from its own students for all of the casting. “It is remarkable to see our 16 and 17 year olds brilliantly perform the parts of Snow Queen and Sugar Plum, usually reserved for guest professional dancers in other school’s productions. One of our former Sugar Plums now dances for the Paris Opera Ballet. I believe it is even more powerful and inspiring for the young people in our audiences,” said Marisol Rivera Thurman, President and Chairman of the Board for Greenwich Ballet Academy.

Stamford, Connecticut resident Maria Jose Esquivel, a 16-year old senior from Holy Child High School in Rye, New York, and longtime GBA soloist, will perform the starring role of the Sugar Plum Fairy for the second year. Additionally, American Grand Prix competitors Laura Baruch from Scarsdale, New York, and Emma Kelly from Easton, Connecticut, will each perform as the Snow Queen for the first time. Aidan Buss, a 6^th grader from Old Greenwich, Connecticut, will be the Prince in this year’s production. 7^th grader Elisabeth Beyer from Rye will be performing the role of Clara fresh upon her return from Paris, where she was invited to compete in the 2015 Youth American Grand Prix European Semi Finals and placed second in the classical category in a field of 116 dancers.

“The school’s outstanding reputation has spread and now we have students commuting from far and wide to come to us. As enrollment surpassed 100 students this year we decided it was time to present our wonderful 2014 production of the Nutcracker in a venue that is convenient for the broader community. The White Plains Performing Arts Center is such a place,” said Rivera Thurman.

Auditions for the Spring Term and Summer Intensive will be held the week of January 12^th. Please call (914) 305-4377 to register.

About Greenwich Ballet Company

Greenwich Ballet Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) institution that nurtures talented dancers, ages 4-21, toward careers in classical ballet and contemporary dance with a unique emphasis on the Russian Vaganova method of instruction. GBA is the only school in the lower Fairfield and Westchester County area to offer this specialized type of training. The professional faculty also provide classes in modern and character dance, and contemporary ballet. GBA students have earned accolades at international ballet competitions and have joined professional ballet companies. For more information on performances and training, please visit the GBA website: www.greenwichballetacademy.org.