Herewith are details on Tucson's remaining four Nutcracker productions, in chronological order. There are two different programs, to be danced at different performances, to taped music. Thursday and Saturday at 8 p.m., students will perform the Grand Pas de Deux from Act II of The Nutcracker . The full second act of The Nutcracker , choreographed by Hancock and Melissa Lowe, can be seen at the 8 p.m. Friday show and the 2 p.m. Saturday matinee. Dance audiences will be cheered to learn the remodeled Ina Gittings now has new, more comfortable seats.
Music is taped.
Instead of mice versus all the king's men, coyotes battle soldiers in the U.S. Cavalry. Drosselmeyer, played by long-time Tucson dancer Richard Holden, is a Zorro figure, and the little girl goes not to Candy Land but to a Desert Dream. The company held open auditions for the adult and child parts, though a majority of them have been filled by students from the Tucson School of Ballet. The big coup for the company this year was to enlist Anne Derieux and Phillip Otto of the prestigious Pacific Northwest Ballet. They bring strong quality and give the audience the chance to see really strong professionals.