‘Great Russian Nutcracker’ returns to Powers

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The North American tour of Moscow Ballet’s ”Great Russian Nutcracker” will return to Powers Auditorium on Saturday for a 3 p.m. performance.

Tickets, which range from $28 to $68, are available at youngstownsymphony.com, by phone at 330-744-0264 and at the Powers box office, 260 W. Federal St., downtown.

The performance will feature leading soloists from several renowned Russian ballet troupes, including the renowned Mariinsky Ballet Theatre, Kiev National Theater, Perm Ballet Theater, Odessa State Academic Ballet Theatre and the Almaty State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre.

Moscow Ballet’s “Great Russian Nutcracker” is the only fully produced national tour of the Christmas favorite.

It features a 60-foot “growing” Christmas Tree, seven backdrops featuring Russian heritage, 10-foot-tall puppets, 40 dancers and 100 costumes. The new backdrops and costumes were handmade in Russia at a 300-year-old theatrical shop that also builds for La Scala opera house.

The performance appeals to all ages. Dance critic Lewis Segal of the Los Angeles Times called it “lively and resourceful” and “disarmingly poetic.”

Principal dancers include Iryna Borysova, Kostyantyn Vinovoy, Veronika Hordina and Olekseii Potiomkin.

Once again, a number of dance students in the Mahoning Valley, age 6 to 18, will get a chance to perform on stage with Moscow Ballet in “Nutcracker.”

As part of its outreach program, local students auditioned and were awarded small roles in the show. Here is a list of the local children in the show:

Party children: Hollie Kop-nisky, Mariah Gotti, Isabella Foust, George Maillis, Addyson Miller, Jessica Collingwood, Alyssa Olsen and Lillie Yanko.

Mice: Adyson Miller, Hollie Kopnisky, Mariah Gotti, Isabella Foust, Jessica Collingwood, George Maillis, Lillie Yanko and Piper Leppert.

Snowflakes: Isabella Graham, Felicia Mentzer, Sofia Noifi, Lia Noifi, Sherny Zhang, Isabella DeBeaulieu, Arabella Reece and Ashleigh McNicholas.

Snow maidens: Eden Lesansky, Alysa Olsen, Dakota Sipusic, Elizabeth Amstutz, Angela Paiano, Katherine Kish

Chinese variation: Lillie Yanko and Ashleigh McNicholas.

Russian variation: Mariah Gotti and Addyson Miller.