Nashville Ballet Announces Youth Cast For NASHVILLE'S NUTCRACKER

Local students will be helping the Emmy nominated Nashville Ballet perform their annual production of Nashville's Nutcracker this December. Running at TPAC December 9-24, this beloved holiday event allows aspiring artists from School of Nashville Ballet, Rejoice School of Ballet, and the Hispanic Family Foundation the opportunity to perform alongside Nashville Ballet's professional company dancers.

"For many of these young dancers, participating in Nashville's Nutcracker has been a lifelong dream," shared School Administrative Director Sarah Dey. "It's often one of the first ballets young dancers can recall seeing and connecting to. Allowing them to participate in our youth cast not only gives them the unique opportunity to learn and interact with professional dancers and rehearsal directors, but it teaches them that with hard work, determination, and discipline, they can do anything they set their mind to."

An experience exclusive to School of Nashville Ballet students and community partners at Rejoice School of Ballet and the Hispanic Family Foundation, the Youth Cast for Nashville's Nutcracker gives over 100 young dancers the chance to learn directly from Nashville Ballet Company dancers on stage. After participating in auditions, each student is hand selected for their role by a Nashville Ballet rehearsal director and spends eight weeks rehearsing in the studio with ballet professionals in preparation for the final performances.

This year's Youth Cast includes:

Bedford County:

Grace Shibayama, Mouse

Cheatham County:

Sophie Gross, Bon Bon

Jordan Hamm, Bon Bon

Phoebe Richardson, Lamb

Davidson County:

Avery Weber, Teddy Bear Calvary

Lorelei Anderson, Frontier Soldier

Kambria Ayers, Party Girl

Breen Bentzen, Mouse

Penn Beutler, Party Boy

Cora Bivin, Commodore Calvary

Maisie Boyd, Lamb

Micayla Brown, Russian Nesting Doll

Camille Carter, Lamb

Evelyn Clark, Lamb

Sabrina Concepcion, Bon Bon

Elizabeth Douglas, Garden Fairy

Sylvia Dunaway, Garden Fairy

Panambi Isabel Edmonds Cuellar, Garden Fairy

Fable Eim, Garden Fairy

Kermina Fakhry, Frontier Soldier

Karrie Fakhry, Frontier Soldier

Elizabeth Faucette, Lamb

Jonah Forsythe, Infantry

Selah Frohock, Lamb

Angel Gabriel Ochoa, Infantry

Myers Gibson, Mouse

Chloe Goelzer, Garden Fairy

Keriah Goins, Garden Fairy

Carly Graham, Bon Bon

Adelyn Grant, Commodore Calvary

Hadley Hancock, Infantry

Beatrice Harvey-Schwartz, Teddy Bear Calvary

Lily Harwell, Garden Fairy

Winnie Haugen, Garden Fairy

Gia Hayes, Lamb

Lana Sky Hayworth, Commodore Calvary

Freya Heard, Infantry

Sophia Hill, Frontier Soldier

Del Hutson, Party Boy

Harper Judd, Garden Fairy

Isla Kearney, Garden Fairy

Brynne Keller, Commodore Calvary

Briar King, Frontier Soldier

Sashenka Kooienga, Russian Nesting Doll

Janesta Krueck, Infantry

Jaycie Lynn Krueck, Teddy Bear Calvary

Frankie Layson, Garden Fairy

Sam Leventis, Party Boy

Esther Livshitz, Garden Fairy

Lily Lutz , Garden Fairy

Campbell Lyman, Mouse

Siena Mangeri, Teddy Bear Calvary

Emmeline Mansfield, Garden Fairy

Tenley Mantinan, Commodore Calvary

Tatum Mantinan, Mouse

Ceci Martus, Teddy Bear Calvary

Claire Massey, Bon Bon

Mica Mays, Garden Fairy

Frances Melancon, Mouse

Evangeline Meyer, Garden Fairy

Marleigh Mitchell, Lamb

Lili Near, Infantry

Eleonore Ness, Party Girl

Harper Perry, Lamb

Eva Pregont, Bon Bon

Lillian Pyatt, Infantry

D'Arcy Ramage, Mouse

Margaret Rick, Clara

Nora Rieck, Party Girl

Meja Isabella Santos, Teddy Bear Calvary

Caroline Schultz, Garden Fairy

Isabel Shilliday, Bon Bon

Katelyn Smith, Mouse

Charlotte Spero, Commodore Calvary

Eva Stefansic, Frontier Soldier

Althea Stefansic, Frontier Soldier

Isabella Sutton, Garden Fairy

Hallie Thackston, Commodore Calvary

Einmyria Thurman, Frontier Soldier

Addison Wade, Lamb

Emma Wade, Russian Nesting Doll

Mackenzie Wade, Party Girl

Anaïs Walker, Commodore Calvary

Abby Webb, Mouse

Shakia Webster, Teddy Bear Calvary

Clara Weedman, Bon Bon

Eleanor Welbourn, Commodore Calvary

Livia Wernke, Garden Fairy

Ella Wescott, Garden Fairy

Morgan Whiteley, Russian Nesting Doll

Luciana Williams, Mouse

Elizabeth Williams, Mouse

Alexis Woods, Teddy Bear Calvary

Lydia Worsley, Commodore Calvary

Nurah Zehr, Garden Fairy

Adri Cottingham, Party Girl

Sarai Aurora Cadena Herrera, Garden Fairy

Tagg Zumwalt, Party Boy

Dickson County:

Preston Gaines, Infantry

Carys Gaines, Bon Bon

Maury County:

Noah Carter, Party Boy

Alany Lopez, Frontier Soldier

Montgomery County:

Arya Horton, Mouse

Bailey Horton, Frontier Soldier

Maclayne Lewis, Garden Fairy

Robertson County:

Mylia Frederiksen, Teddy Bear Calvary

Piper Mackenzie Harris, Bon Bon

Laine Sharp, Russian Nesting Doll

Brynn West, Russian Nesting Doll

Rutherford County:

Eden Avery, Russian Nesting Doll

Mia DeFeo, Mouse

Lennon Elkins, Russian Nesting Doll

Samantha Everett, Russian Nesting Doll

Mikhail (Ari) Arnold Augustine Lieberman, Party Boy

Margaux Lennon Mai Bhago Lieberman, Mouse

Madilyn Rigsby, Bon Bon

Lela Sisk, Bon Bon

Henry West, Party Boy

Sumner County:

Rylee Braden, Mouse

Adalyn Brown, Mouse

Shania Davis, Garden Fairy

Madison Herrington, Bon Bon

Olivia McDaniel, Garden Fairy

Anastasiya Parkhurst, Commodore Calvary

Isabella Pedro, Teddy Bear Calvary

Penelope Sexton, Russian Nesting Dolls

Sophia Wright, Bon Bon

Catherine Yawn, Garden Fairy

Williamson County:

Luke Allison, Infantry

Braelyn Bolden, Teddy Bear Calvary

Daniel Bratton, Party Boy

Jonah Bratton, Fritz

Jade Collins, Party Girl

Matilda Crosswy, Mouse

Chloe Graham, Garden Fairy

Anna Caroline Henry, Clara

Grace Hill, Garden Fairy

Lauren Hill, Infantry

Amelia Johnson, Party Girl

Winnie Jones, Mouse

Courtney Kurkowski, Party Girl

Vanessa Kurkowski, Mouse

Amelia Ly, Garden Fairy

Kelsey Martin, Party Girl

Evangeline Meek, Garden Fairy

Declan Meeker, Lamb

Kinley Meeker, Frontier Soldier

Clara Owen, Bon Bon

Lily Page, Commodore Calvary

Aidan Pape, Party Boy

Adalyn Patel, Party Girl

Cyrus Pittman, Fritz

John-David Saysombath, Party Boy

Margaux Schneider, Teddy Bear Calvary

Emme Shervik, Lamb

Anna Sloan, Clara

Jovanni Walker, Mouse

Margaux Willis, Garden Fairy

Gigi Wingo, Infantry

Emerson Rose Duke, Garden Fairy

Wilson County:

AJ Gift, Clara

Iris Lee, Garden Fairy

Alex Wiggins, Garden Fairy

Josefina Yeager, Garden Fairy

Sterling Lekki, Garden Fairy

Limestone County, AL:

Sarah Hill, Bon Bon

Hailed "beautiful" and "joyous" by Broadway World Nashville, Nashville's Nutcracker will include original choreography by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling, live music by the Nashville Symphony, and a brand-new Snow Scene created by renowned designer Campbell Baird. In addition, families will be able to enjoy pre-performance photo ops and free story times led by Nashville Ballet Teaching Artists.

Nashville's Nutcracker will be live at TPAC December 9-24, 2022. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at nashvilleballet.com.

Nashville Ballet is the largest professional ballet company in Tennessee. Nashville Ballet presents a varied repertoire of classical ballet and contemporary works by noted choreographers, including original works by Artistic Director Paul Vasterling. Nashville Ballet and the Second Company, NB2 (a pre-professional training company), provide more than 55,000 arts experiences to adults and children annually through virtual and in-person season performances and its Community Engagement programming. Curriculum-based Community Engagement programs bring dance education to community centers, colleges, public libraries, and public elementary, middle, and high schools across the state. School of Nashville Ballet brings world-class in-studio instruction to students ages 2 and up. To learn more about Nashville Ballet, please visit nashvilleballet.com.

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