The magic returns: Midland Festival Ballet’s production of ‘The Nutcracker’ is back

MIDLAND Each year, the Midland Festival Ballet puts on its performance of “The Nutcracker” and this year, it returns with slightly more performers.

After having to cancel its live performance in 2020 due to COVID restrictions, the famous Russian ballet by composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky, was back on the stage at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center with an in-person performance.

This year, Midland Festival Ballet’s Director of Communications Pearl Wamsley says they will be able to have more dancers involved with the performance.

The live performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 11 at the WNPAC.

“It just feels like a larger cast this year,” Wamsley said. “There are a lot of new kids and new faces. We’re bringing back some old faces that we’ve missed working with and we’re happy to have them back. It’s always great to have the West Texas Symphony accompany us as well. That’s great. It feels like it’s going to be a very exciting performance. We do it every year and some years feel a little more special than others and this one feels like it’s going to be very special.”

About 90 local dancers will take part in this year’s production of “The Nutcracker” with five guest artists.

Midland Festival Ballet has put on the performance for about 29 years now which has been a culmination of the community’s effort and talent.

Midland Festival Ballet facilitates and coordinates the production. The cast is comprised of students from dance studios all over West Texas.

Some of the principal roles are filled by guest artists from premier professional ballet companies across the country.

Their presence provides professional exposure and mentorship to the students.

One of the guest artists this year will be Yuriko Kajiya playing the Sugar Plum Fairy from Houston Ballet.

Kajiya joined Houston Ballet in 2014 as a First Soloist before being promoted to the rank of Principal Dancer later that year.

She has performed all over the world throughout her career.

Playing the role of the Cavalier is Chun Wai Chan from the New York City Ballet who has also worked with the Houston Ballet in the past.

Both dancers are not new to the Midland Festival Ballet as they performed in the Permian Basin three years ago.

“Kajiya is an amazing dancer,” Wamsley said. “She’s going to be the sugar plum and her cavalier is going to be Chun Wai Chan from New York City Ballet. He’s also amazing. We’re very excited to have them back. We had them in 2019 to do our spring ballet called ‘Giselle.’ We love them but of course they are very busy and sought after guest artists. It’s taken them awhile to come back but it’s been exciting that it works out this year.”

With this year’s production coming together, Wamsley says the energy has been created amongst the dancers.

“The more people that you have involved, the more that the teachers buy in,” Wamsley said. “Everyone feeds off each other’s energy. When one person gets excited, it gets bigger. I think that is a large contributing factor. You have a lot of people coming together to accomplish one thing. Having a large cast is fun. But being able to perform in front of a live audience with live music, that makes more people contributing to the buzz of the performance. It feels that much more magical. You also have people’s live reactions. That’s the cherry on top. It’s special. Once that moment in time is done, it doesn’t happen the same way again. It’s never exactly the same twice. That makes it much more special.”

“The Nutcracker” is the first live production that Midland Festival Ballet is doing for its 2022-23 season.

The Midland Festival Ballet will also be hosting the Regional Dance America 2023 Southwest Festival in March.

For tickets to “The Nutcracker” and more information about Midland Festival Ballet, go to tinyurl.com/5n78k3b9.

If you go

  • What: The Nutcracker.
  •  When: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 10, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 11.
  •  Where: Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
  •  Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/5n78k3b9