When the curtain was raised on the Kansas City Ballet’s 40th annual production of “The Nutcracker” Dec. 1, audiences were treated to performances by several Jewish performers. At least five Jewish dancers are in the production, which has two casts for the young dancers. The Prince, one of the production’s major roles for students, is being played by Shawn Kramarovsky. Other Jewish performers include Stella Shapiro, siblings Greta and Oscar Miller and Natalie Goldman.
“The Nutcracker” runs through Dec. 23 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. For ticket information call 816-931-2233, or go to kcballet.org.
For those who are unfamiliar with the production, choreographed by the Kansas City Ballet’s Artistic Director Emeritus Todd Bolender, it features a memorable score by Tchaikovsky, takes place on Christmas Eve and tells the unforgettable story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they journey to the Kingdom of the Sweets.
All of the young cast members are students at the Kansas City Ballet School and were chosen through an audition process.
The 225 students featured are an integral part of the ballet, and rehearse and perform alongside the professional company members.
At age 7, Natalie Goldman is perhaps the youngest member of this year’s cast and has been dancing since she was in preschool at the Jewish Community Center. Now in second grade, she excitedly announces that she is in 11 performances of the ballet. The daughter of Stuart and Lauren Goldman, members of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, she attends Stanley Elementary School. Ballet is her favorite activity.
This is the first year Natalie was eligible to audition, and she nabbed a role as one of Mother Ginger’s children. She emerges onstage from under the huge skirt of Mother Ginger.
Another “Nutcracker” novice is Stella Shapiro. The daughter of Kelly and Tony Shapiro, she recently began focusing on ballet after concentrating on gymnastics for many years. The 13-year-old eighth-grader at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy plays a mouse and appears in two scenes. She is enjoying ballet.
“I love how it makes you feel beautiful and I like performing for people and making other people happy during it. It’s just really fun,” said Stella, who recently became a Bat Mitzvah at Congregation Beth Shalom.
Juggling school, rehearsals and performances, Stella said, is not as hard as people may think.
“When I did gymnastics I worked out about 30 hours every week and I still had to balance homework, so I’m used to it,” she said.
Participating in this production has been fun, Stella said.
“Even though it’s not the best part, like Clara or any other part, I think it’s the part that most people remember. It’s the funny part and I think a lot of people enjoy it,” she said.
Another HBHA student, Shawn Kramorovsky, hasn’t been dancing long either. The 12-year-old son of Tanya Kramarovsky was born in Israel, came to the United States nine years ago and began taking lessons two years ago. As one of the two boys who alternate playing the Prince, he has one of the biggest roles for a student in the production and appears in many scenes.
Shawn explains that throughout the production he dances “with Clara (the student lead) and escorts her to places and watches other dances.”
The sixth-grade student who belongs to Beth Shalom credits his early dancing success to good teachers at the KCBS, including Emily Simpson, the new director of the Kansas City Ballet, as well as Marcus Oatis. He’s also thrilled he gets to dance alongside the professionals.
“The company dancers help you and guide you along and mentor you during ‘The Nutcracker.’ Sometimes during a performance they will quietly whisper in your ear saying things like try this, do that. It helps a lot,” said Shawn, who has also enjoyed working with directors James Jordan and William Whitner.
He’s had a lot of fun the last few months.
“When we first got into rehearsals I was so nervous. It was the second year for the other prince and it was pretty challenging for me at first learning every bit of choreography and getting all the expressions and all the gestures right. But it has gotten easier,” Shawn said.
Siblings Oscar and Greta Miller have the most experience performing in “The Nutcracker.” Greta, an eighth-grade student at Indian Hills Middle School, has danced in six “Nutcrackers.” This year the 13-year-old plays a Trepak in the Russian ribbon candy dance. She continues to enjoy the experience.
“It’s really fun and it’s a cool thing to do, and it’s something special to perform with the professional company,” Greta said.
Greta believes “The Nutcracker” inspires young girls to become ballerinas.
“All the little girls go and see ‘The Nutcracker’ when they are about 4 or 5 and then they want to take ballet,” Greta said.
Greta, who has been dancing for 11 years, always looks forward to “The Nutcracker.”
“It’s one of the things I look forward to the most during the year because everyone is happy and it’s fun. You get to perform with your friends and the company members,” she said.
Greta and Oscar are the children of Robert and Kerry Miller and are members of Congregation Beth Torah. Oscar is 9 years old, attends fourth grade at Highlawn Montessori School and plays Clara’s brother Fritz in the production.
“I am one of the main parts in the first act,” he said.
This is the second year Oscar has played Fritz and the fourth year he’s been in the production. He said he’s been dancing so long, seven years, that “it’s just a part of life” for him now.
He likes dancing with the company and enjoys the production.
“I like it a lot because I’ve been doing it for a really long time. I get to break the nutcracker,” he said.
“It’s not all ballet, it’s acting too, and I like that,” Oscar concluded. In addition to “The Nutcracker,” Oscar performed in the Kansas City Ballet’s “Tom Sawyer” in 2011.
