“The Nutcracker” has become a Christmas tradition in Lincoln over the last 37 years.
Junior Whitney Tomes and freshman Magdalen Driewer have been selected to perform in this year’s production.
“This year I will be dancing as the roles of the Snow Princess and the Arabian Queen, and I am the understudy Snow Queen,” Tomes said.
Driewer will be dancing the role of a Chinese Lantern.
“This will be my third year dancing in ‘The Nutcracker,’” Driewer said.
In Driewer’s first year in “The Nutcracker,” she played the role of a Russian background, while the past two years she has played the role of a Chinese Lantern.
People from all over Nebraska dance at the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company (LMBC), but there are different dance studios associated with it.
According to the LMBC, “‘The Nutcracker’ includes professional dancers from around the nation and nearly 200 cast, apprentice and company dancers from the Lincoln area.”
Tomes dances at True Dance and Company, while Driewer dances at Pas De Deux School of Dance.
“It’s fun to meet people from different areas and build friendships with them,” Tomes said.
Tomes and Driewer have been dancing since they were little.
“I have been dancing at the Lincoln Midwest Ballet Company since I was eight years old,” Tomes said. “The first role I ever had in ‘The Nutcracker’ was Angel A.”
Her biggest role she has had in the production is the role she has this year.
“It’s my first time having a solo role with a professional, and it feels really rewarding to see my hard work pay off,” Tomes said.
The students of the LMBC practice every day for six weeks before the production.
“It’s pretty long and tiring but during the process we make so many memories with all the girls and it’s just an overall fun time,” Tomes said.
The dancers rehearse and practice for the production at True Dance and Company.
For her roles, Tomes will get to dance with a professional from around the country.
“The week before the show is when the professionals come in and there’s certain roles that have professionals that they dance with, like the Arabian Queen, the Snow Queen and Marzipan,” Tomes said.
The dancers with solo roles get to spend school hours practicing and learning their role with their assigned professional, but don’t find out who it is they are dancing with until the week before.
“The Nutcracker” will be performed at the Lied Center for Performing Arts on Dec. 18-19.
