State Ballet twirls into town

THE tutus and tiaras will be flying left, right and centre when the Victorian State Ballet brings its production of world-famous classical ballet The Nutcracker to Ulumbarra Theatre in late August.

Featuring main characters Clara, her brother Fritz, the Nutcracker Prince, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Snow Queen, as well a musical score by Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet that spans almost two hours of running time.

Victorian State Ballet managing director Michelle Sierra said Bendigonians can expect to see “beautiful costumes, sets and music”, and to be drawn into “a magical world of delight, mesmerised by the traditional Christmas tale, which is spoken through a rich display of ballet skill by world class dancers.”

Ms Sierra said the current “very uncertain times of not knowing whether performances will go on or not” has placed the State Ballet “in a tentative mode.”

“It has been a very challenging time for arts organisations in Victoria and NSW,” she said.

“We have recently had the situation where we’d bumped into set up at a theatre, and prepared to perform, only to be plunged into a snap lockdown.”

“This is very emotionally draining and disappointing for us – especially the dancers, as they prepare mentally, physically and emotionally weeks before performing. So the emotional rollercoaster has certainly had its toll.”

“However, we remain passionate to bring audiences back into the theatre after such a hard couple of years during this pandemic. People need something to look forward to and a special place to go and enjoy some magic in their lives.”

“The theatre brings joy, creativity, magic, hope and fresh aspiration for people. This is what we love to do, and are looking forward to bringing the stage back to life again.”

The Victorian State Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker takes place at Ulumbarra Theatre Sunday 29 August from 2pm.

Tickets are available on the Bendigo Region website. Visit bit.ly/3slWyTm for more information and to book.