Scenes from "The Nutcracker"

This production by NCSA and the Winston-Salem Symphony is one of the oldest continuous productions of this beloved holiday ballet in the country. A classic for the whole family, “The Nutcracker” tells the story of what happens to a little girl named Clara one Christmas Eve, when she receives a gift of a Nutcracker soldier doll, and dreams of a battle between toy soldiers and mice as large as life, and a journey to a magical kingdom where candy and flowers come alive.

The ballet, choreographed by Sonja Tyven and Robert Lindgren, was created after the original 19^th century choreography of Lev Ivanov. 

Robert Moody will lead the Winston-Salem Symphony in this staple of the holiday season, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable musical score. 

“The Nutcracker” features advanced ballet students from NCSA’s School of Dance. 

Set in 1840s Russia, “The Nutcracker” features beautiful sets and elegant costumes designed by NCSA alumnus Campbell Baird and constructed by students in the School of Design and Production, which is providing production support.

Lilyan Vigo Ellis was born in Miami, Fla., where she began her study of dance training privately with Liana Navarro. Vigo attended Harid Conservatory for two years and graduated from the North Carolina School of the Arts in 1996. She joined Carolina Ballet from the Southern Ballet Theatre in Orlando, Fla., where she was a principal dancer. A founding member of Carolina Ballet, Vigo has created many principal parts in new works including Robert Weiss’ “Firebird.”  She is a recipient of the prestigious Princess Grace Award.

Jonathan Stiles joined Pennsylvania Ballet in 1999 after dancing two seasons with the Cincinnati Ballet. Favorite roles in full-length ballets include Hilarion in “Giselle,” Mercutio in “Romeo and Juliet,” Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and Renfield in “Dracula.” Stiles has danced lead roles Jerome Robbins’ ballets “Fancy Free,” “Interplay” and “The Concert,” and the George Balanchine ballets “Slaughter on Tenth Avenue” and “Ballo della Regina.” He has also danced featured roles in ballets by Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, Agnes de Mille, Christopher Wheeldon and Matthew Neenan. Stiles is a high school and college (Bachelor of Fine Arts) graduate of NCSA. For several years, he has returned to perform at NCSA’s Summer Festival in Manteo, N.C. 

Founded in 1963, the North Carolina School of the Arts was America’s first public arts conservatory and is today one of the premiere arts conservatories in the world. With schools of dance, design and production, drama, filmmaking, and music, NCSA enrolls 1,200 high school, undergraduate and graduate students, who must audition or present a portfolio for admission. The School’s alumni can be seen and heard throughout the world, especially on Broadway, in Hollywood, and in the major dance and opera companies and concert halls of America.

John Mauceri, founding director of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and former music director of the Pittsburgh Opera, Teatro Regio (Torino), Scottish Opera, Washington Opera (Kennedy Center), and American Symphony Orchestra (Carnegie Hall), became chancellor of NCSA on July 1, 2006. For more information, visit the School’s website at www.ncarts.edu.    

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