"EL CASCANUESES" A VERY SPECIAL "NUTCRACKER"

"EL CASCANUESES" A VERY SPECIAL "NUTCRACKER"

If you love kids and you love “The Nutcracker,” than you just have to see “Baile de los El Cascanueces,” a robust community production of “The Nutcracker” ballet produced by Dancing in the Streets Arizona, as directed by Joseph Rodgers.

“El Cascanueces” will be presented at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18, in the downtown Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.

Defying all the odds, calling on huge balls of energy and tons of determination, for three years Rodgers has been patiently training and rehearsing the dancers in his school, which simply goes by its initials, pronounced “ditsaz.”

A part of what makes “El Cascanueces” so special is knowing the mission of DITSAZ is to accept all children and at-risk youth who are interested in experiencing the excitement of ballet and learning the discipline that will give them valuable life skills as they go about promoting the art of ballet and dance in their own community.

The studio has no paid staff and relies upon the generosity of donors to provide the full and partial scholarships to more than half its 100 students.

But who can resist the charm of nearly a dozen three-year-old girls who come bouncing onstage so joyfully in a wave of enthusiasm…several different times…in several different costumes.

They are the mice in Act One, doing battle with the tin soldiers. Then in the second act they perform together in several of the specialty dances.

Playing the famous Tchaikovsky ballet score is the Civic Orchestra of Tucson, giving this production a significant edge over other local versions of the holiday ballet.

DITSAZ has brought its student dancers a long way in three years. The older performers stretch into their teen and adult years, with a few guest artists on hand to  handle the tougher parts.

The story and the music are exactly the same. Rodgers himself plays the magical Herr Drosselmeyer who brings the Nutcracker Prince to life.

“Baile de los El Cascanueces” is performed at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets begin at $13. For ticket information, call the Fox box office 547-3040, or DITSAZ, 867-8489, or visit www.ditsaz.org