
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Smong the many “Nutcracker” ballets that will be staged in Ventura County this holiday season is the sparkling production offered by Footworks Youth Ballet. The nonprofit component of Ventura-based Oakley Ballet Center will bring the Tchaikovsky classic to life at the Ventura College Performing Arts Center Dec. 13-15, and feature a cast of more than 60 dancers.
Most of that cast will be Footworks students. But according to volunteer Ariel Palmieri, who handles Footworks’ marketing and public relations, the dancers’ skill is such that most audiences won’t recognize their non-professional status.
“When you’re watching, you don’t feel like you’re watching students,” she confirmed.

Students taking the lead
Undoubtedly, the quality training students receive from Footworks staff, led by Oakley Ballet founder and artistic director Kirsten Oakley, is a part of that. But Oakley said that the students’ opportunities to play leading roles, and work with professional guest artists, helps the young dancers develop their talents as well.
“We train our student dancers to the level where they can perform principal roles,” Oakley shared via email. “We believe that is critical to their experience. We hire guest artists to perform character roles and to partner with our student dancers. Many of our dancers have graduated and moved on to dance professionally, and the opportunities they have had at Footworks have prepared them for those next steps.”
This year’s “Nutcracker” will have two guest artists. Hai Cohen, a native of Israel who now teaches at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, will take on the role of the mysterious Drosselmeyer — the family friend responsible for creating Clara’s magical nutcracker. Cohen will also perform the Arabian Coffee pas de deux. Mikaela Mitchell will embody Mother Ginger, who dances on stilts in an enormous dress from which clownlike “Polichinelles” (played by Footworks’ youngest students) emerge.

Close-knit community
Mitchell is a former dancer and instructor with Oakley Ballet Center, making her appearance particularly special. But as Palmieri explained, that’s not uncommon for the ballet organization.
“We have moms and dads and grandmas from years past who still volunteer,” she said. They sew costumes, bake delicious treats that we sell in the lobby during performances and work backstage assisting with props and lighting.”
Palmieri herself is a longtime volunteer: Her daughter, now fully grown, was a Footworks dancer for 13 years. “That’s what’s so wonderful about the Footworks community — former parents and grandparents and students continue to volunteer…It feels really good to be part of something where people want to be here.”

Local outreach
Footworks puts on two ticketed productions every year. “The Nutcracker” is a staple of the winter season, while the spring show can vary. Past performances have included “Peter and the Wolf,” “Giselle,” “Swan Lake” and the comical ballet “Coppélia,” about a man who becomes infatuated with a life-size dancing doll.
According to Palmieri, Footworks goes beyond the stage to bring the magic and beauty of dance into the local community. She said that schools often enjoy free or discounted performances. But for those who can’t come to the ballet, Footworks brings the ballet to them. Hospitals, senior centers and similar organizations are often treated to in-house performances, complete with lovely costumes, impressive props and melodious music. This year, dancers visited Oakmont of Riverpark and The Bonaventure senior living communities.
“It’s a labor of love,” Palmieri said. “For our artistic director, community outreach is very important.”

ANOTHER WORLD
For those who attend this year’s performances, prepare to be delighted. The lobby will be decorated with props, ballet slippers, costumes and vintage nutcrackers. There will also be some items for purchase, so guests can do a little shopping before or after the show, or during intermission.
“We really take pride in displaying the lobby…we want people to feel like they’re going somewhere special. Once they arrive, they’re already transported into another world,” Palmieri said.
Viewers will also enjoy a largely youth-oriented production this year. While “The Nutcracker” has many variations, which help ballet companies keep it fresh year after year, Footworks tends to focus on the childlike imagination behind the story, rather than the romance.
“Our Clara is a young Clara,” Palmieri explained. “We don’t typically have an older Nutcracker Prince. The love story isn’t the focus.”
Instead, Clara’s main guide is the Sugar Plum Fairy, who ushers her (and the audience) into the glistening Land of Snow and lively Land of Sweets.
With talented dancers, creative props and Tchaikovsky’s familiar and captivating score, prepare to once again be enthralled by “The Nutcracker.” In the hands…or, rather, feet…of Footworks Youth Ballet, this imaginative and spirited dance extravaganza truly personifies the magic and merriment of the holiday season.
“The Nutcracker”
Friday, Dec. 13, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, Dec. 15, 1 p.m.
Ventura College Performing Arts Center, 4700 Loma Vista Road, Ventura
www.oakleyballet.com