Moscow Ballets celebrated Great Russian Nutcracker is returning to Southeast Missouri State Universitys Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall on Thursday, Dec. 8, for one show at 7:30 p.m.
His near-starring role takes place in the Party Scene, Act 1, when the guests from around Russia arrive: The Diplomat, The General, The Inspector, and The Professor, who will be portrayed by Vargas. Accompanied by two beautiful Russian ballerinas, one on each side, the President will parade around with dignity, said Robert Cerchio, assistant director of the Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts.
Cerchio said the tradition was started by Yale President and later Baseball Commissioner, the late Angelo Bartlett Giamatti, who once performed the role of Herr Drosselmeir, the toy maker in the Connecticut Ballets Nutcracker.
The Moscow Ballet is in its 24th consecutive year touring North America. The company features award-winning and rising star dancers, and performs more than 100 engagements annually across Canada and in most of the United States largest cities. In addition to public performances, Moscow Ballet dedicates resources to community engagement programs. The Dance with Us program shares the Russian Vaganova ballet training with more than 5,000 American dance students annually, bringing them on stage in ancillary roles to perform side-by-side with the professionals. Moscow Ballets partnerships with corporations and not-for-profit organizations have helped several charities.
Moscow Ballet is known for its dedication to world peace, and has named Act II of this years Nutcracker performance Land of Peace and Harmony, featuring a cannon that shoots roses and a two-person Dove of Peace.
Tickets
Tickets to the performance are now on sale and may be obtained by contacting the River Campus Box Office at (573) 651-2265, by visiting the Box Office during office hours, or by visiting RiverCampus.org/great-russian-nutcracker.