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Celebrating 26 Years

North Country Ballet Ensemble’s Nutcracker Returns with an
International Cast of 75 Local and Professional Dancers
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Nutcracker Rehearsal Schedule

The North Country Ballet Ensemble will present its 26th annual Nutcracker season this November in Plattsburgh and in December in Lake Placid. A cast of sixty-five local student dancers plus ten community members will entertain audiences.

Joining them will be Therese Wendler, a six-year veteran of the NCBE Nutcracker, and a principal dancer with Rebecca Kelly Ballet and Connecticut Ballet, and Mikhail Ilyin, in his first appearance in the North Country. Mikhail Ilyin, a native of St. Petersburg, Russia, dances for American Ballet Theatre. He received his early training at the Vaganova Ballet Academy. Ilyin danced with Boston Ballet before becoming a soloist with Miami City Ballet in 2001. He was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2003. Mr. Ilyin joined American Ballet Theater in 2008. These dancers will be highlighted in the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

Andres Niera, from Columbia, will partner Ms. Wendler, performing the role of Cavalier in the Lake Placid production. Andres Niera worked for numerous companies in the US and abroad, such as The Renval Project, Danza Hoy (Caracas,Venezuela), Ballarte (Bogota, Colombia), and Bejart Ballet (Lausanne, Switzerland), New Jersey Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, Eglevsky Ballet, and the Granite State Ballet. Ms. Wendler will also dance the role of Queen of the North Winds in the Snow variation in Lake Placid.

NCBE alumnae Korinne Stay, Dean College junior, will dance the role of Queen of the North Winds in the Snow variation, in Plattsburgh. The NCBE is pleased to have a former student-dancer return in a solo role.
Joining the lineup of professional choreographers, which includes guest choreographer Rebecca Kelly of Rebecca Kelly Ballet (New York City) and guest choreographer Michela Boschetto, is Terpsie Toon, a member of the North Country artistic team, who heads up the staff of the Lake Placid School of Ballet. Ms. Toon danced professionally in New York for more than 20 years, and has many years of dance-making under her belt, from classical ballet to Broadway.

The role of Claire will be danced by Kano Ottinger, from Plattsburgh, NY while Christopher Neureuther also from Plattsburgh, NY, and Harvey Runyon from Lake Placid, NY, will share the role of the mischievous younger brother, Fritz. We welcome back Jason Borrie as Uncle Drosselmeyer.

2011 proves to be an exciting season with surprises in store for audience members. Dan Black of Boston once again works his magic on the lighting design.

The Nutcracker will be performed in Plattsburgh on Friday and Saturday, November 25 and 26, at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 27 at 2:00 p.m., at the Hartman Theater, Myers Fine Arts Building, SUNY Plattsburgh. General seating tickets are on sale at Alan’s Party Supply and one hour prior to each Plattsburgh performance on site at Hartman Theatre. All categories of tickets will also be on sale at the NCCCA in Plattsburgh. Ticket prices are General seating: $10 children (12 and under) and seniors; $15 adult; reserved seating: $13 children (ages 12 and under) and seniors; $18 adults. For ticket information, please call (518) 320-2883 or visit http://www.balletplattsburgh.org.

Lake Placid performances take place at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts located at 17 Algonquin Drive in Lake Placid on December 3rd at 7:30 p.m. and December 4th at 1p.m. Ticket prices are $12 children (ages12 and under); $15 seniors and students, $18 adults. For reservations or ticket information, please call the LPCA at (518) 523-2512 or visit www.LakePlacidArts.org.

Contact: Alice Schonbek, aschonbek@mac.com

North Country Ballet Ensemble, Inc.
P.O. Box 2871
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
www.balletplattsburgh.org

Photographs: Todd Bissonette, www.RTBphoto.com
North Country Ballet Ensemble images are copyrighted and cannot be used
without expressed written consent from North Country Ballet Ensemble.