Dylan Santos Courtesy

Tickets are on sale now for the Tyler Junior College Academy of Dance’s 27th  annual presentation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker.” The production is set 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5 and 6, in Wise Auditorium on the TJC main campus. The production is under the direction of Carolyn Hanna, director of the TJC Academy of Dance.

 

IF YOU GO

What: Tyler Junior College Academy of DAnce’s 27th annual presentation of Tchaikovsky’s classic ballet, “The Nutcracker.”

Where: Wise Audiorotium on the TJC main campus

When: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 4 and 5, and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5 and 6

Tickets: Available online at tjc.edu/Nutcracker, by calling 903-533-5554, or between noon and 4 p.m. weekdays in the Financial Aid Annex

 

Assistant choreographers are Shurrell Wiebe and Thereza Bryce-Cotes.

“This is a fun, exciting show and it’s an annual tradition for so many families in our community,” Hanna said. “We have world-renowned guest artists coming in from The Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City, as well as more than 100 local community dancers.”

Principal dancers are Nayara Lopes and Dylan Santos from Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City.

Nayara Lopes began dancing at age 6 and trained both at the School of Theatre Dance Guaira in Brazil and American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School in New York City. Following her early training, she joined Orlando Ballet II, where she performed roles in “Carmen,” “Giselle” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” In 2011, she joined The National Ballet of Canada as an apprentice and performed in many full-length ballets including “Nutcracker,” “Giselle,” “La Fille mal Gardee” and “Alice in Wonderland.” Ms. Lopes has competed in ballet competitions such as the Youth America Grand Prix Finals (New York, N.Y.) where she received the Mary Day Special Award and the Youth America Grand Prix Regionals (Columbia, South Carolina) where she was the Grand Prix Winner 2011. She has worked with choreographers including Christopher Wheeldon, James Kudelka, Lindsay Fischer, Robert Hill, Raymond Lukens and Jessica Lang. Additional roles include Kitri in “Don Quixote Dream Scene,” “Allegro Brillante,” “Black Swan” and the “Sleeping Beauty Pas de Deux.” 

Dylan Santos began his studies at Centro de Artes Pavilhao D in Brazil under the direction of Ricardo Scheir. At the age of 15 he was a finalist at Youth American Grand Prix in NYC, where he was awarded scholarships for study at several schools including the Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton, Fla., where he ultimately decided to continue his studies. After working as a trainee with the Houston Ballet, Santos joined the Orlando Ballet under direction of Robert Hill, where he performed in many productions including “Giselle,” “Carmen” and “Esmeralda.” With Ballet Chicago, Santos first performed such Balanchine works as “Serenade,” “Swan Lake,” “Who Cares” and “Divertimento No.15.” He has also danced lead roles in “Coppelia,” “Le Corsaire,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “Cinderella” and “Swan Lake” and has worked with many choreographers and teachers including Stanton Welch, Phillip Broomhead  Claudio Munoz, Andrew Murphy, Anna-Marie Holmes, Deidre Miles Burger, Oliver Munoz, Alexei Kremnev, Anna Reznik, Kim Marsh , Patricia Miller, Ashley Wheater. He has worked in company productions with the Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet and Paris Opera Ballet. 

All seats are reserved. Admission is $25 for VIP reserved (front, center orchestra section), $20 for premium (side and mid-rear orchestra), and $15 for main (rear orchestra and balcony).

Main seating is $10 for seniors ages 65 and over, TJC students and children under age 12. Tickets can be purchased online at tjc.edu/Nutcracker; by calling 903-533-5554; or between noon and 4 p.m. weekdays in the Financial Aid Annex located on the first floor of the White Administrative Services Center on the TJC main campus.

Local performers in this year’s production are: Brynn Allen, Maria Arias, Sumer Austin, Michelle Azzi, Anna Grace Barns, David Beams, Riley Becker, Jenifer Blackburn, Luke Blackburn, Scarlett Blackburn, Logan Blackburn, Reyna Bowles, Madison Bowser, Bella Burton, Evie Canal, Chloe Canal, Ginger Christiansen, Emma Clark, Trinity Coats, Claire Cockrell, Cammle Coleman, Cate Coleman, Mackenzie Copfer, Faith Craig, Emery Crayton, Alayna Davis, Savannah Davis, Allyson Davis, Madison Dean, Katy Dieter, Lyssa Dieter, Lydia Earle, Leslie Earle, Caley Fitzgerald, Lillie Fitzgerald, Haley Foster, Caz Franks, Michelle Gandy, Kara Gandy, Kenna Gandy, Isabella Garcia, Rachael Gibbs, Savannah Gregory, Malynn Hable, Nadia Hartnauer, Savannah Hogg, Oliver Howard, Kyndra Hulen, Cameron Humphress, Katie Humphress, Annie Hyland, Sofia Iskander, Allison Jarvis, Autumn Jenkins, Hadyn Jennings, Olivia Johnson and Tom Jones.

Also: Gwen Jones, Destiny King, Liberty Koerbel, Jamyla Laningham, Zoe Lissner, Claire Lofquist, Faith Luce, Zoe Grace Mazzare, Alli McCreary, Addison McHam, Samantha McMahan, Lydia Middleton, Pippa Netreba, Anna Nowlin, Dacey Ogrodnik, Anastasia Oxler, Gabriel Oxler, Kennison Oyer, Mallorie Paris, Morgan Parrish, Annabel Priest, Brooke Rhodus, Iris Rincon, Monroe Rincon, Renee’ Rincon, Evelyn Robinson, Demi Rodriguez, Grace Schoenberger, Chaysee Sepko, Abby Shine, Elizabeth Sloan, Gracie Smith, Aleigh Spruger, Justin Stroman, Layla Sullivan, Anna Swartz, Michelle Swartz, Chauncie Thompson, Calee Tilton, Adysen Trout, Gabriella Volberding, Kathryn Wallace, Julia Watkins, Alyssa Whitaker, Elexis Wiebe, Savannah Williams, Izzy Winston, Makenzie Yarbrough and Polina Zhilchenkova.