The Donetsk Ballet Returns to Plymouth Whitemarsh High School for The Nutcracker

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Lafayette Hill , Plymouth Meeting | Education

November 30th, 2016 | By Marc Garabedian

Peter Tchaikovsky’s famous, fairy-tale ballet, The Nutcracker, is returning to Plymouth Whitemarsh High School on December 17th and 18th. The acclaimed dance company, the Donetsk Ballet of Ukraine is on tour in the USA despite the continuing civil war in their city and country.

Internationally renowned principal dancer, Irina Komarenko will be dancing the lead role for the company. She was a finalist in the 1998 USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson and in 2000 she received an award for being the best non-competing partner at Varna’s International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria. Taking the parts as the children in the production are 50 local ballet students, two of whom have won the coveted roles of Clara and Fritz, the children in the story whose lives are touched by a magical nutcracker.
Tchaikovsky’s music, the delightful story, and the talent of the dancers come together for an unforgettable experience for young and old.

The two performances are at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 17th and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday December 18th. Ticket prices are $20.00 for children, students and seniors and $30.00 for adults. Tickets are available online and at the door if available. For information, call (215) 849-7950 or 1-800-849-4919. Group rates are available.

The performances are sponsored by the International Ballet Exchange (IBE). IBE is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality ballet education, performance opportunities, and cross-cultural exposure to young aspiring ballet dancers. IBE will also present The Nutcracker at reduced rates for school children throughout the city at George Washington High School Thursday, December 15, at 10:00 AM.

This project is supported by the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency, through its regional arts funding partnership, Pennsylvania Partners in the Arts (PPA). State government funding comes through an annual appropriation by Pennsylvania’s General Assembly and from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. PPA is administered locally by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance.