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Stepping Out Studios put on a ballroom Nutcracker. They essentially presented the divertissements of the last act, changing the numbers to fit ballroom rhythms. Amy Jethmal, eight months pregnant, played the Sugar Plum Fairy. She strode about the stage gracefully. She never looked better. The rest of the numbers were performed for the Sugar Plum Fairy (there was no Clara). Tybalt and Hazel Ulrich performed a classy swing. Simone Assboeck and Billy Marti danced an energetic hustle in sailor outfits. Talia Castro-Pozo and Emmanuel Pierre Antoine had strong form in the Spanish dance. Christian Baerens and Joanna Zacharewicz nicely mixed styles in an Arabian rumba. Daniela Arcuri, Armando Orzuza, Sarah La Roca, Alfredo Melendez and Maria Jose Sosa danced a playful tango in Chinese attire. Diane Lachtrupp and Johnny Martinez performed a showy dance number that included Peabody and swing. Roula Giannopoulou, Luis Grijalva and Ernesto Palma performed a salsa that included very good adaptation of the salsa dance to the Nutcracker music. The evening ended with Dimitre Atanasov, Tetyana Bilych, Jamie Cunneen, Linda Gammon, Tybaldt Ulrich, Simone Assboeck, and the Stepping Out Staff performing an elegant waltz with beautiful, smooth interchange of partners, followed by a snowball where the staff members picked audience members to dance a little, until they were dropped off so the staff members could form their final pose.

I talked to Talia Castro-Pozo, who conceived and directed the show, about the show. This is what she had to say.

"Regarding the Nutcracker Suite, coming from a classical background I grew up dancing it and watching several companies all over the world perform the classic for the Holiday Season. The idea come to me early this year, when I thought "Wouldn't it be nice to see a Ballroom version of it?" So, I began, with great assistance to look for musical adaptations, since most of the dances are not particularly ballroom style rhythms. Only the Spanish dance, Arabian & the waltz of the flowers remained the same, all the other dances were adaptations we found on the Internet and music stores."

"I love producing, choreographing and dancing, this project has been a lot of work, but has been (as many people say), the best show they've seen as far as dance studio productions go. Working with the staff has been very rewarding, talking about ideas, assisting, inspiring, and having them work as a group, coming up with ideas for their numbers."

"I think that people (students), expect to see every couple perform their numbers every time there is a studio party. The typical studio show. This Nutcracker Suite changed that to a collective piece of work. Like going to a see a dance show!"

Encore performance of the Nutcracker Friday, January 13th at 11pm at Stepping Out

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Chinese Milonga left to right Maria Jose Sosa, Sarah La Rocca, Alfredo Melendez, Daniela Arcuri & Armando Orzuza
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Arabian Rumba - Joanna Zacharewicz & Christian Baerens
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Waltz of the flowers left Tybaldt Ulrich & Linda Gammon, back Jaime Cunneen & Tetyana Bilych, right Dimitre Atanasov & Simone Assboeck
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Salsa dance Trio for the Sugar Plum Fairy left to right Ernesto Palma, Roula Giannopoulou, Lius Grijalva
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Waltz of the flowers - Tetyans Bilych, Simone Assboeck, Linda Gammon
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Arabian Rumba - Christian Baerens & Joanna Zacharewicz
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Spanish Dance - Talia Castro-Pozo & Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Waltz of the flowers - left Tybaldt Ulrich & Linda Gammon, back Jaime Cunneen & Tetyana Bilych, right Dimitre Atanasov & Simone Assboeck
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

Nutcracker at Stepping Out Studios - Finale - left to right Ernesto Palma & Tetyana Bilych, Luis Grijalva & Sarah La Rocca, Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine & Maria Jose Sosa
Photo courtesy of Susan Sci

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