Clara & The Nutcracker
Miners Foundry presents Holt Ballet Conservatory’s production of Clara and The Nutcracker at 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, CA. Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 7:00 PM Friday, December 13, 2024 at 7:00 PM Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 1:00 PM matinee Saturday, December 14, 2024 at 7:00 PM Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 1:00 PM matinee Admission is from $35 to $40. A stocked bar and other refreshments will be available for purchase. For a complete listing of all Clara & The Nutcracker performances, visit the Miners Foundry events page. “Clara and The Nutcracker” is Director Yelena Holt’s retelling of the classic holiday story “The Nutcracker Suite” by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Talented youngsters make their stage debut, while pre-professionals and guest professionals perform traditional roles that have been tests of merit for decades of dancers. Holt Ballet Conservatory’s Clara and The Nutcracker brings to life the complete classical repertoire from original productions of The Nutcracker, with reimagined spectacle that has endeared Director Holt to dance audiences for over two decades. Holt’s tale of The Nutcracker follows the title character of Clara, whose Christmas present of a toy nutcracker soldier inspires a magical journey to a strange world she’s never known. Join us as Clara winds deep into the mysteries she uncovers, finding home a memory to which she must hold fast if she’s ever to return. With the historic atmosphere of the Foundry donning extravagant holiday decor, and Holt Ballet bringing together the highest calibre of classically trained ballet dancers in California’s Sierra Nevada, children will be enchanted and adults will be inspired by this evening to remember. The Miners Foundry Cultural Center is an arts and events center with rich historical heritage. Miners Foundry is centrally located within Nevada County, California, where two of fourteen state-designated Cultural Districts were bestowed by the California Arts Council in...
Read MorePaquita
The story of Paquita is appropriate for all ages. Taking place in Napoleonic Spain, this ballet weaves a tale of Spanish aristocrats, gypsies and a forbidden romance. Audiences for both shows (June 12 and 13 at the Don Baggett Theater) were wonderful to perform in front of, and we’re so grateful to have shared such a magical evening with so many! Paquita is one of classical ballet’s most beautiful, playful, and engaging ballets. Rarely produced in its original form since its acclaimed opening in 1846, Holt Ballet meticulously reconstructed the complete works from rare archives held by Paris Opera Ballet and recently made available to Director Yelena Holt with the sole purpose of bringing the splendor of this once renowned masterpiece back to life. Holt Ballet has recreated the original choreography and music in not just the final act, as are the limits of most modern-day productions, but all three. Bringing this complete original work to life was a delight for all our ballet devotees, as well as every one of our novice classical art lovers whom we are immensely pleased to call our patrons. Beautiful sets, by Pamela Hodges and Tom Taylor, adorned hand-crafted costumes from our master European designer. Professional guest artist performances by Nora Heiber and Kermit Allen are sure to be remembered, performing both evenings with the Holt Ballet Conservatory dancers. Thank you all for helping bring this amazing spectacle to life once more! ...
Read MoreSleeping Beauty
The Sleeping Beauty ballet that Holt Ballet Conservatory brought to life, was very well received by audiences at The Don Baggett Theater. The costumes, sets, and dancing from Marius Petipa’s original choreography, was a visual “feast for the...
Read MoreSelecting A Ballet Studio For Your Child
Did your child dance in her crib; does she love twirling to music; is he a natural performer? Maybe they fell in love with ballet when they saw their first Nutcracker at Christmas. Whatever draws your child to ballet, finding the right school will make all the difference to their experience and future as a dancer. 1) One of the first things you’re bound to notice before even visiting a great school is the quality of the dancers they’ve already trained. How many students have gone on to receive scholarships and positions at various professional programs and colleges? Have any of their students become professionals in competitive cities? A little research and a few questions go a long way. 2) Once you have a clear idea of what results can be expected, the next thing that will surely stand out are the standards that created those results. When visiting the studio, notice if there is a defined curriculum and the teachers work as a team in training students from level to level. Are there clearly written requirements such as being well groomed, neatly dressed, and displaying good studio etiquette. Sweatpants and other loose, concealing clothing should not be allowed. Not only do high standards produce accomplished dancers, but they also help train for success beyond ballet. 3) Now that you know what your child can gain from training at this studio, it’s time to take a look at the studio itself. Are the ceilings high enough and the spaces large enough to accommodate high lifts and large leaps? Students have a hard enough time overcoming their body’s natural limitations; no sense having their environment hold them back as well. Ensuring the floors are sprung and covered with a non-slip surface will also prevent injuries and increase confidence, especially for pointe work. 4) Finally, asking to observe a class is a great way to see a teacher in action first hand. Notice if the dancers look prepared and excited while waiting for class to start. Are students attentive while training, do they work hard, do they look happy afterwards? Does the teacher have young students trying the same fancy turns and leaps that you see older kids doing, or are they being taught to master the basic movements that will eventually lead them to master fancy tricks as well? Are “talented” dancers allowed to wear pointe shoes before the body has developed the required bone structure (age 12)? Good ballet training improves the body and self-esteem. Unfortunately, poor training leads to bad movement habits and long-term injuries that keep dancers from gaining acceptance into university programs or companies, and potentially from being able to dance at all as they grow older. * An added note is to make sure your child’s potential school spends a majority of its time in the classroom. Placing emphasis on training is the only way to become well trained. Performing experience is valuable, and should be included in the curriculum, but too much time spent in rehearsal can be a distraction from building solid technique that enables a dancer to move from one level to the next. If normal class schedules are kept separated from rehearsals, this is a good sign that students’ futures are put ahead of the studio’s self-interests. In the end, the studio you choose for your child can be an important decision to make. Good ballet training rewards both the aspiring professional who dreams of taking bows on the world’s largest stages as well as the ardent amateurs who are thrilled to connect with their body in ways most can only...
Read MoreHBC Contact Information
Holt Ballet Conservatory
400 Providence Mine Road, Building N2
Nevada City, CA 95959
(530) 278-5131
Holt Ballet Conservatory offers outstanding classical ballet training for youths through adults by following a comprehensive syllabus endorsed by American Ballet Theatre's national curriculum, the Vaganova training method, and the California State Framework for the arts.