CHILDREN LEAP AND TWIRL AS SEA CLIFF LIBRARY HOLDS 23rd ANNUAL NUTCRACKER WORKSHOP
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The Sea Cliff Children's Library held its annual "Introduction to the Nutcracker" workshop this past Saturday morning. Led by the Library's director, Ann DiPietro and her husband Dan, who have held the event each December for the past 23 years, the nearly twenty children in attendance were introduced to the story, dance, and music of the Christmas-time classic as well as to ballet as an art form.
Donning a wig, Mr. DiPietro played the role of Drosselmeyer, the eccentric nutcracker bearing godfather; Ms. DiePietro, Mother Ginger; and the DiPietro's granddaughter Lara, the role of Clara. After leading the students through some warm-up exercises, the DiPietros gave a lesson in some of the important dance movements that would be used throughout the performance. The children were then guided through the story, as stagehand Joe Stroppel exhibited images from the Lincoln Center performance. The young students danced and performed the scenes, playing the roles of the children, soldiers, mouse army, Mouse King and Sugar Plum Fairies. Lending a hand were Fred Stroppel who, along with his son Joe, were the "maestros", and Liz Stroppel, who designed the costumes. BACK TO WEEKLY |