Commack Students Share Stage with NYC Ballet Stars

COMMACK STUDENTS SHARE STAGE WITH NEW YORK CITY BALLET STARS IN LONG ISLAND’S LARGEST PRODUCTION OF “THE NUTCRACKER”

NEW YORK DANCE THEATRE OF COMMACK MARKS 40th SEASON

Guest Artists Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht of New York City Ballet

Four Performances December 17 and 18 at Hofstra University’s John Cranford Adams Playhouse

More than a dozen young dancers from Commack will share the stage with New York City Ballet stars Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht in New York Dance Theatre’s 40th season of “The Nutcracker” at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY on Saturday, December 17 and Sunday, December 18 with performances at noon and 5 p.m. The girls, students at the Ohman School of Ballet in Commack, perform multiple roles in the iconic holiday story ballet including children in the Party Scene, Toy Soldiers and Mice in the Battle Scene, Snowflakes, Angels, and various confections in the Land of Sweets. Claire DeVaney, a seventh grader at Commack Middle School, plays the pivotal role of “Fritz,” who breaks the titular Nutcracker, in two of the four performances at Hofstra University. This year’s cast also includes Commack students Chloe Cantillo, Anna Clemente, Elysena DeStefano, Brynn Farino, Anna Gross, Isabel Gross, Sofia Gross, Marilyn Ihasz, Emily Kern, Samara Kolodny, Emma Martir, Ava Napolitano, Elizabeth Pau, Alyssa Tavares, Sara Tobia, Nina Van Zandt, Vivienne Vasquez, and Madison Wagner.

NYDT’s production is the largest Nutcracker on Long Island and the only one performed in the tradition of New York City Ballet’s Lincoln Center version. Through the years, founder Frank Ohman created original dances and scenes that set his production apart from others on Long Island. As a former student and soloist under George Balanchine he was one of a select few authorized to use the original pas de deux choreography of his mentor, which continues to distinguish this production.

Special guest artists, New York City Ballet principal dancers Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht, will perform as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. Mr. Ulbricht also serves as an artistic advisor for the Ohman School of Ballet, a division of New York Dance Theatre, and has been a recurring master class instructor at the school.

With the elegant Christmas Party Scene, the drama of the magical growing Christmas Tree, the Battle of the Toy Soldiers and Giant Mice, the live Snow Storm, and the brilliant dancing in the Land of the Sweets, “The Nutcracker” appeals to all ages. In all, a cast of 80 children, pre-professional and professional dancers will bring this classic story ballet to life on the stage of the John Cranford Adams Playhouse.

The Commack-based company and school recently announced a new Artistic Director, alumna Nicole Loizides Albruzzese, who was a student at OSB under Frank Ohman and performed most of the children’s roles in “The Nutcracker” during her time there, returning as a professional dancer in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy before her international dance career, and now following in her mentor’s footsteps in a leadership role.

Tickets for this full production ballet are $42.00 and $32.00 (seniors and children 12 and under) plus $3 fee, available at www.ohmanballet.org or 631.462.0964. Group discounts are available for 15 or more tickets in a single show and for Scout troops (verified troops must order by phone). Details about Covid-19 protocols for audience members are outlined on the website and are subject to change according to local government guidelines.

About the Frank Ohman School of Ballet

The Frank Ohman School of Ballet was founded in 1979 by Frank Ohman, former soloist at New York City Ballet (NYCB). Located in Commack, the school serves as a training ground for promising young dancers and offers aspiring students the opportunity to learn classical ballet in the tradition of George Balanchine. The school is a non-competition, non-recital school, focusing on proper classical ballet technique. A division of the New York Dance Theatre, Inc., the Ohman School has become an integral part of the company and is one of the very few not-for-profit ballet schools in the region. It offers three studios with state-of-the art flooring to Balanchine specifications and a highly qualified teaching staff trained by founding artistic director Frank Ohman (1939-2019). Artistic advisors for the school include New York City Ballet principal Daniel Ulbricht and New York City Ballet principal Ask la Cour, who served as Artistic Director of the school before his recent retirement.