Olympia ballerinas introduce new fans to Nutcracker

This is a busy time of year for Olympia’s ballerinas.

Dancers are donning their tights, leotards and pointe shoes and heading into nine-hour practices, where they’ll perfect the roles of Clara, the Mouse King and other timeless characters from “The Nutcracker.”

Three dancers took time out of their busy schedule Saturday to introduce the next generation of dance enthusiasts to the Christmas ballet. Emily Walter, 15, Katelynn O’Keefe, 12, and Brenna Evans, 16, visited Olympia’s Hands On Children’s Museum to talk to children and read them the story of “The Nutcracker.”

“It’s definitely interesting to see how many people are interested in what we do,” Evans said. “Usually, we’re standing backstage, looking out onto a dark audience. It’s hard to know what they’re thinking.”

All three dancers, who perform with Ballet Northwest, are Nutcracker veterans. This year, O’Keefe will play Clara, Walter will play Dew Drop and Evans will play Ribbon Candy. They all wore their costumes, much to the excitement of the children at the museum.

“The little girls, they’re so adorable,” Walter said. “They’re so excited. We had some really excited little boys, too.”

That’s the whole point of programs like this, said Amanda Wilkening, the museum’s studio and activities coordinator. The dancers show children that the arts are exciting, and encourage creativity.

It also helps that they’re teens, she said.

“The professional, adult dancers may be a little bit intimidating,” Wilkening said. “Having teens in here who are a little closer in age and still learning makes it seem a little more attainable.”

“The Nutcracker” is the perfect introduction to the ballet world because it’s well-known culturally, and it encourages “dramatic play,” she said. Children will see the value of dressing up, using their imagination and practicing what they’ve seen in the adult world.

Wilkening said the museum encourages this kind of play with the miniature house and pint-size market.

And there’s always a benefit to seeing dancers being active and working as a team, she added.

Saturday wasn’t the only opportunity for museum visitors to meet South Sound dancers. Performances from Ballet Northwest will return to the museum from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 14 and 21, and performers from Studio West will visit the museum from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 5.

This story was originally published November 7, 2015 at 5:38 PM with the headline "Olympia ballerinas introduce new fans to Nutcracker."