The pews are gone. The former sanctuary has become a rehearsal space for the Hudson Valley Dance Theatre. What other rehearsal space has stained glass windows?
On Sunday afternoon, the young dancers are practicing an abbreviated version of “The Nutcracker.” The ballet has been condensed to an hour to keep young audiences from getting restless.
On this day, the performers are not in costume and there are no sets. The story is familiar. But even if you don’t know it, a narrator makes the action easy to follow.
After every dance, the performers applaud for one another. They are not bothered by the lack of sets. There will be no backdrops until the day of the performance. But then the scenery will add to the magic of the show. That’s what’s different about this holiday classic.
For years, it was staged with only a few props. Then, in 2018, the studio got an offer it wouldn’t want to refuse. A dancer’s parent volunteered to provide digital pictures for the setting of each scene.
On the day of the performance, studio director Aggie Kimple was a trifle anxious. “We weren’t sure if it would be done,” she recalled. “The projector wasn’t your average home movie projector. It was at least 4 feet by 4 feet.”
But it worked. And the advantages are obvious. There’s a photo projected on the backdrop to match each part of the story. It starts with a large Victorian house with snow falling outside the windows. The audience actually sees the snow.
In the dream sequence, the Christmas tree gets larger as Clara shrinks to the size of her playthings. In past performances, the tree on stage would expand as someone turned a crank. Now the transformation is seamless and more dramatic.
As in a dream, the scenes shift rapidly. Clara and her nutcracker travel through the land of snow before visiting a candy land. With the projector the change in scenes is immediate. The audience doesn’t have to wait for a backdrop to be raised and another one lowered.
This year’s performance includes 9 local adults and 39 students (ages 6 to 17). While the settings are impressive, audiences won’t go home “humming the scenery.” Mrs. Kimple believes she has a “stronger than average” cast of students. “We had to increase the difficulty of some of the dances to challenge them,” she said. “The end result is sure to be special.”
The studio will present “The Nutcracker” at Cornwall Central High School at 2 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. For prices and reservations, call 534-9671.
There will also be a Dec. 21 performance at 3 p.m. at the Paramount Theater in Peekskill. Tickets are available on line at paramounthudsonvalley.com.
Cast: Katelyn Bilodeau, Bianca Caluori, Fiona Carty, Megan Chrismon, Mia Coyman, Chloe Dolata, Olive Dolata, Kayleigh Finley, Emma Florkowski, Nina Harrison, Emma Ireland, Mila Jablonski, Brooke Jackson, Signy Johnson, Aria Kimple, Thane Kimple, Penelope Kulic, Alyssa Laudato, Anna Liba, Charlie Matthews, Henry Matthews, Erin Murphy, Charlotte Nelson, Chloe O’Keefe, Elizabeth Ortiz, Sarah Ortiz, Lea Patak, Giavanna Pesci, Sophia Pesci, Mehr Sagri, Hayden Saia, Ilunga Salerno, Hudson Segnit, Natalya Shannon, Debbie Wason, Isabella Willkomm, Ellie Withington, Elizabeth Withington, Ava Zwickel
