Jean Roberts was ecstatic when the Moscow Ballet approached her for assistance with their production of “The Great Russian Nutcracker,” a close relative of the classic that adheres more closely to its Russian roots.
A Moscow Ballet soloist, Boris Baskakov, flew to the U.S. and hand-picked local children in the upcoming production. Roberts will teach the local kids, who practice every Sunday for the show.
“This gives us something to offer our students that they wouldn’t normally get to do,” said Roberts, the founder of Dance Attack!, a dance school for children and teens that began in Mountain View but moved to Sunnyvale five years ago.
Of the children selected, nine are from Mountain View. Open auditions were held in the community during October, and Roberts said all but one of the children from Mountain View were original Dance Attack! students. Their parts range from snowflakes and mice to Russian and Spanish dancers.
“I am really excited,” said 13-year-old Megan Templeman, who plays the part of a Russian dancer. “I’ve never been in the Nutcracker before.”
“I feel really great about the experience,” said 9-year-old Whitney Ross. This is also a first time for her brother, 6-year-old Braydon Ross, who is a Spanish dancer.
Ten-year-old Maggie Costales, who plays an angel and a party guest, said, “it seems like a lot of fun.”
Another Spanish dancer, Jack Waiblinger, 14, said, “I am excited to dance with a professional ballet company. The opportunity is a first for me and will open my eyes to what the professional dance world is really like.”
The other Mountain View children who will be performing in the ballet are Linda Price, 10, French dancer; Stephnie Hing, 8, Russian dancer; Breanna Gambini, 9, Chinese dancer; and Vanessa Paravati, 8, snowflake.
The Cupertino performance at Flint Center is one of 70 stops on the Moscow Ballet’s U.S. tour. In 14 years of the tour, this is the first time Cupertino has been selected as a performance stop.
“Numerous factors play into the selection of a city and a dance school,” said Beth Murdock, publicist for the Moscow Ballet. “Roberts had a good reputation and she was available to participate.”
INFORMATION:
What: ‘The Great Russian Nutcracker,’ performed by the Moscow Ballet with help from local children
Where: Flint Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino
When: Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $25-$35
Info: Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster by calling (408) 998-8497
E-mail Amber Cleave at acleave@mv-voice.com
