A Note of Thanks
To all my wonderful Nutcracker Performers:

I wanted to thank you for doing such a fabulous job in the Nutcracker last weekend. I can't tell you how proud I am of you all. From the very beginning I kept saying "This is too good to be true." Every rehearsal was such a pleasure and everyone kept working so hard. I kept thinking that it was so good something had to go wrong. But it didn't and you were terrific. Everyone says that it's our best Nutcracker yet, and that's because you never danced better. (And Daniel never jumped higher!!!) I hope you all had fun and I just wanted you to know how very proud I am of you and that I love you all.

Now, relax, no more rehearsals until next year! Have fun - it's the holidays and I hope your Nutcracker performances got you off to a happy start!!


Love,

Ms. Maris
 
2007 Nutcracker
Presented by the American Academy of Ballet
featuring performances by
Daniel Ulbrich Principal Dancer with the NYC Ballet as our Prince
Jeanette Delgado dancer with the Miami City Ballet as our Sugar Plum Fairy
Neil and Sabra From the hit Television show "So You Think You Can Dance"

Neil is from Clarence Ny and began dancing at age 5 at the David de Marie studios. As a young teen ager he began taking ballet at the American Academy and dance the roles of Jester and the Prince in the American Academy Nutcracker. He spent three summers at the Chautauqua Institutions prestigious susmmer dance program. Upon graduation from high school he was offered a position with North Carolin Dance Theatre II by artistic director, Jean Pierre Bonnefoux. He decided to go to college and pursue a degree in dance at Point Park where he was offered a full scholarship. He began auditioning in NYC and received a role in Twyal Tharps new broadway show "The Times They are A Changing." Upon the closing of the show he auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance ...and the rest is history!!

Neil and So You Think You Can Dance winner Sabra Johnson will recreate the role of the Pasa Doble and also dance another duet in the Nutcracker. They will also be guest in the party scene during the sunday shows.

Special guest artists include Jeanette Delgado of the Miami Ballet and Daniel Ulbrich of the NYC Ballet Company will dance the lead roles. "Daniel's an amazing dancer" says Battaglia. "When he jumps you think he will never land." They are exciting to watch and the audience will be enthralled with them.
Other guest artists include Catherine Batcheller as the Snow Quenn and Joe Cipolla as Herr Drosselmeyer. Both were principal dancers with the Royal Ballet in England for 14 years.