Shenandoah Ballet Presents The Nutcracker at the Historic Masonic Theatre   Clifton Forge, VA (Nov. 27, 2016) - The Nutcracker Ballet, a holiday classic, will be performed on the stage of the Historic Masonic Theatre on Saturday, December 10 at 7:00 pm and Sunday afternoon, December 11 at 3:00 pm. The Nutcracker is presented by the Shenandoah Ballet of Buena Vista, directed by Missy Belcher Floyd, and will be performed by the Shenandoah Ballet cast and area dancers. The Nutcracker is based on the E.T.A. Hoffman tale, "The Nutcracker and the King of Mice". Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same. Clara dreams of her beloved Nutcracker winning the battle against the Mouse King, journeys through the land of the Snow Queen and her King and arrives in the Land of the Sweets and the Sugar Plum Fairy. The ballet, set to the timeless Tchaikovsky score, was first performed in 1892 by the Mariinsky Theatre, home to the Kirov Ballet. The ballet was choreographed by Lev Ivanov and Marius Petipa. The first full-length American version of the ballet was performed by the San Francisco Ballet. Missy Belcher Floyd, comments, “ The Nutcracker in its seventh year under my direction and we are excited to extend the ballet’s performance locations to include two shows at the beautifully restored Historic Masonic Theatre”. Floyd is working with young dancers from studios in Clifton Forge and Covington to join members of her Buena Vista cast. The Shenandoah Ballet, Inc. was created to offer a unique performing opportunity for dancers from the pre-professional aged dancer to the dancer who desires an opportunity to continue dance outside of the professional realm, be it for fitness, passion for dance, or the adult dancer desiring a chance to participate at the beginner level. The Shenandoah Ballet furthers its approach by offering its dancers the opportunity to study and perform full-length classical ballets. It has been the vision of Artistic Director Missy Floyd to include students from her own studio, the Shenandoah Academy of Dance, but also from other area dance studios and the local universities, as well as parents and other community members, regardless of previous training. Tickets range from $10 to $15 depending on your seat selection and may be purchased online at www.historicmasonictheatre.com, at the Theatre Box Office from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm from Monday to Friday or by calling the box office at 540 862 5655. For more information on the Historic Masonic Theatre events, please visit the Historic Masonic Theatre website or Facebook page.

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