Foothills Conservatory Presents "The Nutcracker"

Foothills Conservatory for the Performing Arts, FCPA, will present The Nutcracker in its entirety Saturday, December 8^th at 7:00 pm and Sunday, December 9^th at 3:00 PM at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Clemson University.

Perhaps the most popular of all ballets, The Nutcracker offers a memorable family tradition for celebrating the holidays.

World class performers will be joining the cast for the 2012 production. Pavel Gurevich, with The Suzanne Farrell Ballet in Washington DC, will return for the eighth year as the Cavalier.

Joining him as the Sugar Plum will be Vilia Putrius, of The Festival Ballet Providence (Rhode Island). The role of the Nutcracker Prince will be performed by Thomas Bettin, of the Columbia Classical Ballet Company in Columbia, SC.

These guest artists will join dancers from Oconee and Pickens Counties to help bring this time honored classic to life under the artistic direction of Ginny Siano-Eck.

In the opening Act, you may recognize some familiar faces: Dr. Ronnie Brockway, Dr. Frank Stewart, and Dr. Garry Van Romer all play parents in the party scene along with other adults from the community. Marvin-Joe Merck, a renowned performer and artist, will reprise his role as Godfather Drosselmeyer.

The cast is comprised of dancers from the Foothills Dance Conservatory in Seneca and other community members with a strong background in the arts. These dedicated dancers devote many hours preparing for this production. Advanced dancers take class throughout the week, and spend Saturdays taking technique class in the morning and the remainder of the day in rehearsal with resident teacher and choreographer, Kathryn Esposito.

Joining FCPA as key sponsors for this year’s production are Dr. Garry, Holly and Alexandria Van Romer, Mountainview Medical Imaging, and Oconee Federal Savings and Loan. The production is also funded in part by The South Carolina Arts Commission and through the generous contribution of community sponsors and anonymous donors.

As a 501(c)3 non-profit, Foothills Conservatory for the Performing Arts is a volunteer based organization with one of its goals being to offer tickets at affordable prices in these tough economic times so that the community can experience a first-rate ballet performance close to home. This also provides local student dancers with the opportunity to perform with world-class performers in front of a sell-out crowd.

Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students/children. Tickets may be purchased by visiting The Brooks Center Box Office or by calling (864) 656-RSVP (7787), Monday through Friday, 1-5 pm. Tickets are also available online at www.clemson.edu/Brooks. Subject to availability, tickets will be sold on the day of the show at $17 for adults and $12 for students/children.