The Nutcracker presented by Footworks Youth Ballet

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Footworks Youth Ballet Presents

Artistic Director Kirsten Oakley Music by Ilyich Tchaikovsky Based on the story by E.T.A. Hoffman

Oakley Ballet Center Official Training Facility of Footworks Youth Ballet 1594 Saratoga Ave, Unit A, Ventura, CA 93003 www.footworksyouthballet.org

Original Nutcracker Illustration by RochelleStorts.com

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Mission Statement Our purpose is to provide educational opportunities to young people in the art of ballet. More specifically, the mission of Footworks Youth Ballet is to develop and enhance every student’s love and appreciation for the art of ballet; to do so by offering all students an opportunity to perform in live ballet performances; to provide serious ballet students who aspire to a professional career in dance the opportunity to develop their artistry and refine their ballet technique while performing on stage; to encourage young aspiring choreographers by providing nurturing workshops and choreographic opportunities under the mentorship of dance professionals; to widen life’s opportunities for all students and encourage them to meet life’s challenges and opportunities with confidence and self-esteem developed through the discipline of ballet.

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o s e r ’ We y o j n E you!

f o d u pro t! a e r t this

ad D & m o M , e Lov

Send your dancer a Candygram!

Head to the lobby at intermission to purchase a $1 Candygram for your dancer. We’ll deliver your Candygram with your personal message and a special treat to your dancer(s) backstage during Act II. Proceeds benefit Footworks Youth Ballet.

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Artistic Director Kirsten Oakley Kirsten Oakley is the artistic director of Footworks Youth Ballet, director of the Oakley Ballet Center and a native of Ventura. Kirsten trained at Westside Ballet in Santa Monica with Yvonne Mounsey. She started her professional career as a member of the Milwaukee Ballet. She also danced with the Chicago Lyric Opera, Milwaukee Dance Theater, and Et toi, tu dances? (Ballet Wisconsin). Kirsten opened the Oakley Ballet Center in 1998 with the mission of providing top-quality classical ballet instruction in a positive environment. Kirsten's focus on instilling her students with sound technique and a positive self-image has resulted in many successes.

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Kirsten Oakley CONTINUED Kirsten’s students have attended notable summer programs including the School of American Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, the San Francisco Ballet School, the Boston Ballet School and many others. Alumni of her school have continued to dance in professional companies like Ballet West and Oakland Ballet Company, advanced training programs such as Pacific Northwest Ballet School's Professional Division and university dance departments at California State University-Long Beach, Stanford University, Texas Christian University, Yale University, University of Utah and University of California-Irvine.

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Children’s Division Coordinator Laurin Boland Laurin began her early training in both Ventura and Santa Barbara counties as well as in Philadelphia. She continued her studies in dance with the University of California Santa Barbara dance department and performed with the UCSB Ballet Company under the direction of Valerie Houston.

Laurin earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Child Development from UCSB and a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from California Lutheran University. After years of working with children in Ventura, Laurin is delighted to be teaching ballet with her longtime and very dear friend, Kirsten Oakley, at Oakley Ballet Center. Laurin lives in Ventura with her husband Bill and their three children.

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Guest Dancer Hai Cohen • Dancer, Choreographer, & Educator A native of Beer-Sheva, Israel, Hai found his passion for dance through dancing with noted Israeli folk dance company Aylot Anegov, traveling around the globe presenting this rich cultural heritage at festivals for 5 years.

He then went on to study ballet at the Bat Dor Professional Dance School. During that time, Hai was awarded the American-Israel Cultural Scholarship, given only to the top dance students in the country. Upon graduation, his achievements in dance were honored by the Israeli government, which allowed him to continue his professional career while simultaneously fulfilling his mandatory 3-year national service commitment in the IDF. 9

Hai Cohen CONTINUED Hai was a member of Kamea Contemporary Dance Company and joined Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (under the direction of Rami Be-er) in 2007. He was a member of the acclaimed Los Angeles-based dance company BODYTRAFFIC from 2010-2013. He shares his passion for dance with the next generation of dancers as a faculty member of the Idyllwild Arts Academy and Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he teaches modern dance and ballet and choreographs multiple student pieces. Hai’s dance courses are unique in their combination of multiple dance techniques, giving his students a thorough foundation from which they can develop their individual voices as dancers and share their passions as fully-developed artists. In addition to teaching at Idyllwild and LACHSA, Hai is featured regularly as guest faculty choreographer at schools across America.

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Guest Dancer Mikaela Roth Mikaela Roth is a former dancer and instructor with Oakley Ballet Center.

She has performed in more than 13 productions of “The Nutcracker” under the direction of Kirsten Oakley, as well as in many spring performances.

Some of her favorite roles included the Evil Queen in “Snow White,” and Arabian Coffee soloist, Nanny, and Snow Queen in “The Nutcracker.” A graduate of Cal State Long Beach, Mikaela is now employed full-time as a Social Worker.

Mikaela is so excited for Footworks' return to the stage, and is grateful to be a part of it!

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Featured Dancers Bailey Basurto A freshman at Foothill Technology High School, Bailey has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 11 years and this is her 8th season performing in “The Nutcracker.” Some of Bailey’s favorite roles included Peter in “Peter and

the Wolf” in the Spring of 2022, and Fritz in “The Nutcracker” in 2017 and 2018. Bailey hopes everyone enjoys the show!

April Boland April is a junior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing exclusively with Oakley Ballet Center for 14 years. Her favorite roles include Dew Drop Fairy and Arabian Coffee soloist in “The Nutcracker,” “Les

Sylphides” soloist, and Czardas soloist in “Coppelia.” In addition to dance, she enjoys rock climbing and playing the drums. Her favorite quote is “It’s not an adventure until something goes wrong.” — Yvon Chouinard

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Jadyn Bonewitz Jadyn attends both Moorpark College and Ventura College.

She has been dancing since age 4 and has danced with Oakley Ballet Center for 12 years. Her favorite roles in “The Nutcracker” have included Spanish

Chocolate soloist, Arabian Coffee soloist and dancing in Snow.

She performed as the Cat in “Peter and the Wolf” in 2022. A quote she enjoys is “On Wednesdays, we wear pink” by Karen from “Mean Girls.”

Lillian Carroll Lillian is a sophomore at Beacon Hill Classical Academy. She has been dancing for 11 years, including 9 years with Oakley Ballet Center. Lillian’s favorite roles have included Czardas in “Coppelia” and in the Spanish Chocolate

and Chinese Tea divertissements in “The Nutcracker.” When she is not dancing, Lillian enjoys reading, writing, and drawing. She is inspired by this verse: “But in your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” — 1 Peter 3:15

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Carolyn Caulkins Carolyn is a senior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing for 12 years and for 11 years at Oakley Ballet Center. Her favorite roles in “The Nutcracker” include dancing in the Spanish Chocolate and Arabian Coffee

divertissements. At Ventura High School, Carolyn is active in both ASB and the music program, where she plays the oboe.

Carolyn incorporates this quote into her commitments: “When you get tired, learn to rest, not quit.” — Banksy Brie Cheatham Brie is a freshman at Ventura High School. She has been dancing for 11 years, with 8 years at Oakley Ballet Center. Her favorite roles have included Clara in the 2019 production of “The Nutcracker,” in the

Pond corps in “Peter and the Wolf,” and in “Les Sylphides” corps.

When she is not dancing, Brie spends time learning to speak French, doing abstract makeup, and is a Disney fan. This quote

by Dolly Parton inspires Brie: “The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”

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Finley Colavito Finley is a freshman at Foothill Technology High School and has been training at Oakley Ballet Center for 6 years. Of the studio, she says it has truly become a second home. Her favorite roles so far have been Duck Teacher and in the Pond corps in “Peter and the Wolf,” as well as a milkmaid in “Coppelia.” When she is not dancing, she enjoys painting and baking with her grandma. A quote that has meaning to her is “I’m still Radio Rebel” by Savannah.

Charlotte Cornes Charlotte is in 8th grade at Hillside Middle School. She has been dancing for 10 years and has danced with Oakley Ballet Center for more than 4 years. Her favorite roles include in “Les Sylphides” corps de ballet,

as Peter’s friend and Pond corps in “Peter and the Wolf,” and as a Party Girl in “The Nutcracker.” Outside of ballet, she enjoys listening to music, reading, and watching movies and TV shows.

A quote that inspires Charlotte is “If it makes you happy, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else.” — Author Unknown

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Nicola Hammond Nicola is a junior at Ventura High School. This is her 12th year dancing with Oakley Ballet Center. A few of her favorite roles have been Clara in “The Nutcracker” in 2018, the Bird in “Peter and the Wolf” in 2022, and as a

gnome in “Hansel and Gretel.” When she is not dancing, she enjoys baking, reading, and spending time with her friends.

Nicola has participated in Spanish immersion education since kindergarten and is bilingual. A favorite quote of Nicola's is "Die with memories, not dreams.”

Emma Ippolito Emma is a senior at Foothill Technology High School. She has been dancing for 12 years, with 8 years at Oakley Ballet Center. Her favorite roles in “The Nutcracker” have included Snow and Candy Canes. Outside of

dance, she enjoys art, reading, and traveling. With this being her final performance in Footworks Youth Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” she hopes to continue dance as a minor in college.

An inspiring quote to Emma is “It takes an athlete to dance but an artist to be a dancer.” — Shanna LaFleur

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Liza Jane Manninen Liza Jane is a senior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 14 years. Her favorite roles include dancing in Snow and in Reed Flutes in “The Nutcracker.” When she is not dancing, she enjoys hiking and creating jewelry. A quote she is inspired by is “Going through things you never thought you’d go through will only take you places you never thought you’d get to.” — Morgan Harper Nichols Ava Mohror Ava is a junior at Ventura High School. She has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 12 years. Some of Ava’s favorite roles have included the Duck friend in “Peter and the Wolf,” Corps de ballet in “Les Sylphides” and Czardas

corps in “Coppelia.” Outside of ballet, Ava is studying French and enjoys reading, journalism, attending concerts and swimming at the beach. A quote Ava would like to share is “Just be yourself, there is no one better." — Taylor Swift

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Avery Palmieri Avery is a junior at El Camino High School. She has been dancing with Oakley Ballet Center for 11 years and loves her ballet family. In “The Nutcracker,” she is most looking forward to performing as a Sugar Plum attendant

season soloist (Summer), in Snow, and in the Arabian Coffee divertissement. When she is not dancing, Avery enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and experimenting with makeup. She has a large plant collection and is among the top 0.5% of Taylor Swift fans worldwide, per Spotify!

Jonah Thomas Jonah is a junior at El Camino High School. He has been dancing for 7 years with Oakley Ballet Center and considers the OBC community his second family. Jonah says, “In December 2018 and 2019, I was given the fantastic

opportunity to play ‘The Nutcracker’ and I will never forget that experience. I am so happy that after two years of the pandemic I can perform on stage again. Ballet is one of my favorite things in the entire world and I wouldn't be where I am today in dance without what Oakley Ballet Center has given me.”

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Avery Trask Avery is a senior at Buena High School. She has been dancing for 6 years and has been a part of Oakley Ballet Center for the past 5 years. Some of her favorite roles include Sugar Plum Fairy and Snow Queen in “The Nutcracker,” and the Adagio Soloist in “Les Sylphides.” She also loves to sew, read, and spend time with friends and family. In college, she intends to major in dance with a focus on ballet. Avery is proficient in Spanish after studying the language for the last 4 years. A quote she connects with is one by Maya Angelou: “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.”

Emerson Voshell Emerson is a sophomore at Oxnard High School. She has been dancing for 9 years. She joined the Oakley Ballet family in second grade, and ever since then, dance has been what she most looks forward to. Some of

Emerson’s favorite roles have included Candy Canes, Arabian Coffee, and Rats in “The Nutcracker” and performing in “Coppelia,” “Peter and the Wolf,” and “Les Sylphides.” Outside of dance, Emerson enjoys running, reading and painting. A quote she connects with is “Life isn't about learning how to survive the storm, it's about learning how to dance in the rain.” — Taylor Swift 19

Story Act I Scene 1 • The Party It is Christmas Eve at the house of Herr and Frau Stahlbaum and preparations are in place for the annual holiday festivities. The guests soon enjoy dances, gifts and refreshments. The merriment is interrupted by the arrival of Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara’s godfather. Herr Drosselmeyer appears quite unexpectedly, bringing gifts for the Stahlbaum family along with his newest inventions: two life-sized dolls to entertain the children.

Clara is enchanted and begs her mother for one of the dolls. Her mother refuses, causing Clara to cry. To quiet her, Herr Drosselmeyer brings forth a special gift: a nutcracker dressed like a Royal soldier. Clara loves it immediately, but Fritz grabs the nutcracker and breaks it.

Clara is devastated, but realizes that time has stopped and a magical fairy appears.

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The Sugar Plum Fairy rescues the nutcracker away from the frozen hand of Fritz, gives it to Drosselmeyer and disappears. With her departure, the normal passage of time resumes and Herr Drosselmeyer repairs the nutcracker.

Everyone joins in for one last stately dance before the party draws to a close. The guests depart and the Stahlbaum household retires for the night.

Scene 2 • The Battle Later that night, as Clara sleeps, the mice interrupt her dreams just before the clock strikes midnight. Herr Drosselmeyer mysteriously appears. He beckons to the mice, and then casts a magic spell. The mice transform into rats and the toy soldiers come to life, and all are as tall as Clara. Her Nutcracker Prince miraculously appears to lead the soldiers against the rats and their Rat King. Clara looks on as the rats and soldiers battle. Scared that the Rat King will kill the Nutcracker Prince, Clara pulls the Rat King’s tail, and as he turns to strike Clara, the Nutcracker Prince hits the Rat King with one fatal blow. The soldiers are victorious, but Clara is left alone, sad and frightened.

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Scene 3 • Transformation Journey Suddenly, the Sugar Plum Fairy appears and tells Clara not to be afraid. They travel together through the Land of Snow on their way to the Sugar Plum Fairy’s magical kingdom—the Land of Sweets.

Intermission

o t y b b o l e h t o t a d a r e e c H n a d r u o y d n e at s m a r g y d n a C ! n o i s s i m r e t in

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Act II Scene 1 • Land of Sweets Aware that Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy are on their way to the Land of Sweets, the Sugar Plum Attendants come together and dance in preparation for their arrival.

All of the subjects of the Sugar Plum Fairy come out to welcome her back home and to meet her distinguished guests. Clara regales the court with a colorful account of the battle between the soldiers and the mice. The Sugar Plum Fairy then invites Clara to sit on her throne so that her subjects might entertain them. The guest of honor is treated to dances by Spanish Chocolate, Cooks, Peppermint Candy, Arabian Coffee, Candy Ribbon, Gingerbread Cookies, Marzipan, Mother Ginger and her Polichinelles, and finally the Flowers. As the festivities come to a close, the dancers celebrate in an energetic culminating farewell. As they begin to fade away, so does Clara’s dream.

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Cast List Act I Fritz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sloan Lees Clara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn Storts Nanny Friday Evening & Saturday Matinee . . . . . . . . . . . . Lillian Carroll Saturday Evening & Sunday Matinee . . . . . . . . . . Bailey Basurto Maid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emerson Voshell Frau Stahlbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Liza Jane Manninen Herr Stahlbaum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chad Hammond Drosselmeyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hai Cohen Party Parents . . . . . Carolyn Caulkins Chuck Caulkins Emma Ippolito John Ippolito Ava Mohror Jeff Mohror Avery Palmieri Chris Palmieri Mark Corcoran* Columbine Doll Friday Evening & Saturday Matinee . . . . . . . . . . . Bailey Basurto Saturday Evening & Sunday Matinee . . . . . . . . . . . Lillian Carroll Harlequin Doll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonah Thomas

*Outreach performance.

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Party Children . . . . . Amelie Birkett Francesca Camilon Taylor Corcoran Holly Garnett Vivienne Grande

Julia Hammoudi Francesca Minadeo Lennon Nichols Findley Smiley Vivienne Vogl Maddie Yamamoto

Sugar Plum Fairy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avery Trask The Nutcracker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonah Thomas Rat King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lillian Carroll Rats . . . . . . . . . . . . April Boland Penelope Kranzler Brie Cheatham Finley Colavito Makena Corcoran Charlotte Cornes April Johnson

Teddy Maldonado-Todd Trudy Ragsdale Kaitlyn Seymour Felicity Squire Hazel Van Orman

Soldiers . . . . . . . . . Claire Alger Amelie Birkett Francesca Camilon Taylor Corcoran Mia Earley Holly Garnett Vivienne Grande Jenna Hammoudi

Julia Hammoudi Sloan Lees Francesca Minadeo Lennon Nichols Alina Schulbach Molly Strouse Vivienne Vogl Maddie Yamamoto

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Snow Sprites . . . . . . Jadyn Bonewitz

Nicola Hammond

Bailey Basurto April Boland Lillian Carroll

Charlotte Cornes Emma Ippolito Liza Jane Manninen

Carolyn Caulkins Brie Cheatham Finley Colavito

Ava Mohror Avery Palmieri Emerson Voshell

Act II Clara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Autumn Storts Sugar Plum Fairy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avery Trask Sugar Plum Attendants Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brie Cheatham Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emerson Voshell Summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avery Palmieri Autumn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Finley Colavito Corps de Ballet . . . . Makena Corcoran Trudy Ragsdale Mia Earley Alina Schulbach Jenna Hammoudi Kaitlyn Seymour April Johnson Felicity Squire Penelope Kranzler Molly Strouse Teddy Maldonado-Todd Hazel Van Orman

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Spanish Chocolate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nicola Hammond Carolyn Caulkins Emma Ippolito

Liza Jane Manninen Ava Mohror

Cooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brie Cheatham Finley Colavito

Charlotte Cornes Jonah Thomas

Patisseries . . . . . . . . Jenna Hammoudi Kaitlyn Seymour Penelope Kranzler Felicity Squire Teddy Maldonado-Todd Hazel Van Orman Peppermint Candy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bailey Basurto Makena Corcoran Mia Earley April Johnson

Trudy Ragsdale Alina Schulbach

Arabian Coffee . . . . . . . . . April Boland

Jadyn Bonewitz Lillian Carroll

Carolyn Caulkins Nicola Hammond Emma Ippolito

Liza Jane Manninen Avery Palmieri

Molly Strouse

Emerson Voshell

Candy Ribbon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ava Mohror Bailey Basurto Brie Cheatham

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Finley Colavito Charlotte Cornes

Gingerbread Cookies . . . . . . . . . . . . . Claire Alger Amelie Birkett Francesca Camilon Taylor Corcoran Holly Garnett Vivienne Grande

Julia Hammoudi Sloan Lees Francesca Minadeo Lennon Nichols Vivienne Vogl Maddie Yamamoto

Marzipan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jonah Thomas

Mother Ginger

Carolyn Caulkins Emma Ippolito

Liza Jane Manninen Ava Mohror

Friday & Saturday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mikaela Roth Sunday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sarah Jackson

Petite Polichinelles . . . . . Parker Corning Lillian Duval Emilia Garcia Sage Gibson Ava Johnson Zahra Lewis

Matilda Milaszewicz Lucy Mussard Grace Rapkin-Rolls Matilda Shanahan Spencer Stowers Finley Waldron

Polichinelles . . . . . . Amelie Birkett Taylor Corcoran Kahlan Prouse Cassia Schulbach

Findley Smiley Ava Smith Alice Squire Madelyn Usery

Dew Drop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . April Boland

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Flower Corps de Ballet . . . . . . . . . Bailey Basurto

(Friday Evening & Saturday Matinee)

Lillian Carroll

(Saturday Evening & Sunday Matinee)

Finley Colavito Charlotte Cornes Nicola Hammond Emma Ippolito Liza Jane Manninen Ava Mohror Avery Palmieri Emerson Voshell

Jadyn Bonewitz Carolyn Caulkins Brie Cheatham Finale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Entire Cast

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Leadership & Crew We greatly appreciate the generous time, services, and products provided by the following individuals. Thank you for your invaluable support—your professionalism and expertise go beyond the call of duty.

Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michele Spaulding Production Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephanie Dillon & Aimee Hammond VC Technical Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jamie Birkett Lighting and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Melissa Lay PR & Marketing Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ariel Palmieri Graphic Design & Custom Art . . . . . . . . . . Rochelle Storts Marketing Support . . . . . Jessica Smith, Betsy Manninen, & Rochelle Storts Social Media Design & Advertising . . . . . . . Asher Rapkin & Caitlin Rolls Social Media Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Avery Trask Costume Managers . . . . . . Jill Johnson & Rochelle Storts Ticket Managers . . . . . . Aimee Hammond, Brenda Usery, & Andrea Yamamoto In-House Photography . . . Hillary Smiley & Jenny Trask Program Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caitlin Rolls 30

Program Editors . . . . . Aimee Hammond & Ariel Palmieri Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dave Ragsdale Technical Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Todd Tranby Security Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jody Bishop Backstage Coordinators . . . . . . . . . . . . Katherine Basurto & Megan Voshell Prop Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sheryl Miller Quickchange Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . Nicola Hammond Lunch Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michelle Holmes Lunch Team . . . . . . . . . Katherine Basurto, Lisa Bonewitz, Julie Carroll, Chuck Caulkins, & Nesreen Ghannam Lobby Team . . . . . . . . . . . . Brandi Mohror, Ariel Palmieri, Katie Pilgrim, Sarah Squire, & Jenny Trask Production Merchandise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ariel Palmieri & Rochelle Storts Outreach Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pam Holbrook Educational Story Time . . . . Sam Hill & Scarlett Palmieri Fundraising & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aimee Hammond Videographers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alison & Ernie Tamminga

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Board of Directors The cast, crew and leadership of “The Nutcracker” extend a special thank you to our board of directors, without whom this production would not be possible.

Jon Light J. Steven Murillo Kirsten Oakley Michael Perroni Dave Ragsdale

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Junior Rehearsal Assistants Kirsten and Laurin greatly appreciate the rehearsal assistants who have mentored the younger dancers and helped throughout the Nutcracker rehearsal season.

Bailey Basurto • April Boland • Jadyn Bonewitz Nicola Hammond • Avery Trask

Thank you to our dancers who take initiative and help Production in all areas of need.

Bailey Basurto • April Boland • Carolyn Caulkins Nicola Hammond • Avery Palmieri • Avery Trask

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Our Volunteers are the Best!

Costuming and Sewing Thank you for designing, making, altering, cleaning, and organizing over 200 costumes, including many new or redesigned creations. We are proud to see your work take center stage and are delighted by how beautiful the dancers look in these stunning costumes. Great job!

Lunch Crew Thank you for feeding us on Saturdays during production season.

Thank you for your donations. Thank you to the Lunch Crew members who were present to serve lunches cheerfully each Saturday. Your delicious meals gave us the energy we all needed to do our jobs.

Production Sets and props, nuts and bolts, communicating, leading, problemsolving, organizing and motivating. This is the Go-to Team. Thank you for being the leaders of our extraordinarily special organization.

Marketing The word is OUT! Sold Out performances! Thank you to this team.

T-shirts and sweatshirts the dancers LOVE. Banners around town.

FYB on the VC marquee. Our beautiful program, postcards given to family and friends, a direct email campaign, social media marketing, stories in the local press, community advertisers to support our cause, and so much more!

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Tickets Without ticket sales, there would be no performance. Thank you for your efforts and dedication to providing great customer service in a calm, friendly and organized manner. Thank you to a team of talented ushers to assist our audience to have the best theater experience possible.

Fundraising Thank you for providing the environment, the food, the music and the fun! You inspire us all to support our cause.

Outreach Moving more than 750 attendees in and out of the theater on a Thursday morning in two hours—now that is a BIG job! Thank you for the fantastic organizational skills and clear communication.

Just think how many children’s lives you’ve helped enrich!

Backstage & Security During production week alone, nearly 300 volunteer positions are filled by about 60 volunteers. Thank you for your participation and for providing clear direction to our parents and dancers and in a calm and safe manner.

Lobby: Sales, Flowers, Gifts, & Story Time Gifts for dancers, pre-show educational story, refreshments and treats, holiday shopping, handmade items, production mementos and apparel—thank you to our lobby team for thoughtfully curating, displaying and selling these wares.

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Donors Performances like this would not be possible without the support of donors. Footworks Youth Ballet extends our thanks to the following donors for their generous contributions. Some of our donors have been giving for many years, and their totals represent that cumulative giving, as we like to recognize the impact of their continued support. Bravo!

Patron $5000+ Angela & Jon Light Jennifer Thompson & Drew Story Brass Ring Foundation

Donate today.

Your contribution can make a difference in what is offered to our dancers and our community. Donate online safely via PayPal. To donate, go to www.oakleyballet.com/support.

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Foundation $3000+

Devotee $250+

Suzanne Chadwick Eloqui Company

Judy & Robert Gold

Angel $2000+

Enthusiast $100+

Gerri-Lynn & Brett Becker Jody Bishop & Pamela Holbrook

Lenita Andres Scott Goodwin Candice Weber C.A. & D.G. Blaney MadeWest Brewing Company Annette Okamur Betsy & Scott Manninen Central Coast Real Estate

Founder $1000+ Nancy & Pat Gallagher Light Gabler

Above the Barre $500+ Jean Ball Aimee and Chad Hammond Stephanie & Phil Dillon Michelle Holmes & Chuck Caulkins The California Wine Club

Supporters $20+

Sherri Van Orman Morgan & Tim Stowers Sheryl Miller Julie & Steve Carroll

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The Fabric of Footworks Threads, needles and fabric play a big role at Footworks Youth Ballet. We are, of course, a ballet company. When there are dancers performing, there are costumes to be made. Throughout the production season, our volunteer costuming department is hard at work creating new costumes and repairing, altering and improving the old. We are immensely proud of our costumers and the many helping hands working to create the beautiful costumes that help bring our productions to life on stage. That is not, however, where the thread and fabric ends. The fabric of Footworks started way before Footworks was founded in 2003.

The thread began when a young Kirsten Oakley began dancing in Santa Monica with Yvonne Mounsey at Westside Ballet. Years later, when Footworks was staging its first production, it was Yvonne Mounsey who provided us with the costumes, choreography and the support that got us off the ground and on the stage. More than 15 years later, Footworks’ fabric has grown to include threads from students, parents, teachers and friends, both past and present. We are woven so tightly together that at times it’s difficult to tell who is a current student or parent and who is not. With great pride and a strong sense of responsibility, Oakley Ballet Center and Footworks Youth Ballet consciously teach and encourage mentoring and leadership skills.

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This is evident as we watch the natural progression of roles being passed from one dancer to another (and often - one parent volunteer to another). The students mentor each other, teaching as they go along. When they witness the successes of others, they are proud of their mentoring accomplishments. The result is a respect toward each other, and for their art form, that transcends age, ability or level. We are so proud to see this tradition continue each year and to see our dancers, who were once the youngest, now leading and mentoring others. Without exception, everyone helps to bring this production to the stage.

“Each season when we start preparing for The Nutcracker, I feel the presence from all of the hands that have held each prop and costume since 2004,” Kirsten Oakley says. “It is humbling to reflect about each of these makers and how all of their contributions over the years make it possible for us to continue performing.”

Fingerworks Fundraising Fingerworks is a student-run fundraising division of Footworks where our dancers, dancers’ families, and friends join together to create handmade crafts, décor, and gift items under the direction of a parent volunteer. These items are available for purchase in the lobby. Funds raised from these sales will be used toward the next production. Be sure to stop by and see the beautiful and unique creations made with love by our talented dancers and families!

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Reaching Out to Our Community Footworks Youth Ballet’s Board of Directors believes that ballet should be shared with community members of all ages and collaborates with organizations and schools in an effort to increase opportunities for enjoyment of the arts.

Footworks Youth Ballet Brings The Nutcracker into Local Senior Communities In an effort to bring the magic of the holiday season to some community members who cannot attend a performance, Footworks Youth Ballet partnered with both the Ventura Townehouse and Aegis Living to present portions of the ballet classic to residents in their own facilities. Several costume-clad ballet dancers performed for the senior citizens, bringing with them props and presenting a beautiful variation of The Nutcracker. They were met with appreciation from senior community residents, many of whom went on to share stories of their own histories either dancing or attending the ballet.

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A Nutcracker Preview for Local Schools Imagine the joy and excitement on students’ faces when the lights dim and the music begins. It is truly a rewarding experience to introduce and share ballet with nearly 800 Ventura County students each Fall and Spring when school groups attend performances in advance of opening night. Without this Outreach Program, many local students might not have the opportunity to experience the fine art of ballet.

Perhaps our performances will spark an interest where none previously existed. Even if students don’t want to be dancers, it opens their eyes to the arts and they may pursue it in some other fashion. Or they may choose to continue attending performances for enjoyment. Outreach is the favorite performance for many of our dancers because the students are so enthusiastic—it makes our dancers happy to know that students enjoyed the performance.

For information about how your student’s school can have the opportunity to attend an Outreach performance, email productionmanager@oakleyballet.com and please put Outreach Information Request in the subject line.

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y r e v A e c a r G You’ve held us in awestruck wonder all these years. You tirelessly pursued one of your gifts, and gave our family ballet. Thank you!

You dance with beautiful grace. The movement of your arms, those pointe slippers that carry you with a whisper across the stage.

All our love,

So beyond proud!

Papa Fermin & Granda Glenda

Mama & Dad

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n y l o r Ca Thank you Kirsten and Laurin for 11 years of guiding and inspiring our Carolyn to grow into the beautiful, strong and graceful dancer she is today.

We are so grateful!

Liza e n a J Your foundation is rock solid and the sky is your limit!

We love you!

Mom & Pop 43

a v A We’re so proud of you, Ava! Congratulations on your 11th (!!) Nutcracker.

We love you!

Party dad and real Dad 😉, Mom, Colton, Lexi, Caise, Buddy, Tilly, and Drago too 🐹 🐶 ❤

e n n e i Vi v

Dance your heart out and have the best time ever! We love you so much!

Love,

Vincent, Mommy, & Daddy

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Your presence on the stage, your evolving leadership in the studio, the thought and care that you put into everything, your ability to handle all of the pieces of life successfully all while being kind and compassionate is awe inspiring. We are beyond proud of you and support all of your hopes and dreams.

a l o c i N

xxoo

Nama, Ga, Declan, Dad, Mum, L&J

Brie

"All dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them!”

— Walt Disney.

Your courage, determination and passion will help you make your dreams come true!

We believe in you! ❤ Cameron, Maverick, & Mom

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a n e k a M r o l y a T

You amaze us with your dedication to growing as dancers and always doing your best!

We love you!

Mom, Dad, & Grandma

Thank you to our community sponsors!

MadeWest Brewing Co.

Ariel Palmieri & Karen Stein

madewest.com

arielandkaren.com

1744 Donlon Street & Ventura Pier in Ventura, CA

(805) 746-2070 CA DRE #01501968

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Save the Dates FEB 1

JUL

JUN

Spring Semester Begins

3-4

3-28

Footworks Youth Ballet Spring Production

SIM Summer In Motion Intensive Workshop

Register online at www.oakleyballet.com/joinoakley For further information, please call or email (805) 676-1600 • info@oakleyballet.com 47

www.footworksyouthballet.org