Long Island Ballet Theatre Celebrates 30th annual production of The Nutcracker

The Long Island Ballet Theatre (LIBT) (formerly Huntington Ballet Theatre), founded by Jan Hanniford Goetz presents one of the season’s most professional and dazzling productions. For the past 30 years this production has provided thousands of  young dancers with the unique opportunity to be a part of a professional ballet production that has featured such luminaries from NYC Ballet as Jenifer Ringer, Jennie Simogyi, Arch Higgins, Tom Gold and former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer & founder of Ballet Next- Michelle Wiles. This year is a year of celebration as the 30th production is presented Thanksgiving weekend.

The cast features students from Huntington Ballet Academy located at Huntington Center for Performing Arts.  Huntington Ballet Academy uses the American Ballet Theater (R) National Training Curriculum. This unique institution is located in Huntington village and is also the home to Long Island Ballet Theatre. The corps de ballet and many Act II soloists are from SLK Ballet – a conservatory in NYC directed by Sara Knight, graduate of the Royal Ballet School and the Vaganova Ballet Academy in Russia. These pre-professional dancers have been part of LI Ballet Theatre casts for the past five years.

Joining these aspiring pre-professional dancers are professionals Rob Royce (Drosselmeir), Jesse Tidquist (Arabian), Alessio Crognale (Snow) , Antonio Cangiano (Spanish),Sophia Akhund (Frau Stahlbaum), Shannon Grant  (ballet mistress/HBA faculty) & Jessica Albright.

LIBT has made free tickets available to members of the US military and their families as well as members of the community through the Parents Resource Group at the Landmark on Main Street.

The Nutcracker will be performed on November 26 & 27  at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street in Port Washington over the Thanksgiving weekend. This version is perfect for young children as it is slightly abridged and narrated. Children/Seniors seats are $25, Adults are $30  and after each performance a Kingdom of the Sweets Reception for only $10 ensures some terrific holiday pictures with the cast for children age 3 – 10.
Tickets
on-line www.liballettheatre.com or telephone – 1-866-811-4111