Razzamatazz and Russia

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Published on Saturday, November 26, 2016

By Sheila Runions

Banner Staff

For the second consecutive year, Moscow Ballet has brought “Great Russian Nutcracker” to Brandon; the company tours the world giving performances. Last year the solo show, dubbed on their website as “the biggest Christmas experience of the year,” was so popular the company decided to dance two nights this year; those evenings were Nov. 22 and 23. What is unique about these performances is that local people  share the stage with the overseas professionals.

Dance Images in Brandon co-ordinates the Dance With Us program offered by Moscow Ballet. Director Linda Kearns (nee Landversitch, who once lived in Rivers and taught at the collegiate, then began giving dance lessons to interested students) informs surrounding dance groups of the opportunity and audition date, then her studio provides rehearsal space. Last year five Razzamatazz Dance Club kids auditioned before Moscow’s audition director and dancer Olena Nalyvaiko; this year three auditioned. Following auditions, she announced acceptance of all who came. She cast thirteen-year-olds MaKenna Scott and Emma Roulette as snow maidens and seven-year-old Kaydance Fontaine as a snowflake. The teenagers are Razzamatazz and Russian veterans, dancing here for the past seven years and with Moscow last year, also as snow maidens.

Razzamatazz instructor Charlene Hiscock says Dance With Us “gives kids the opportunity to perform on stage along with professionals. It gives them a look into the professional world and an experience they would not normally have the opportunity to have. It’s a very positive experience.”

Auditions were in mid-September and after a few days in Brandon to teach a Dance Images ballet mistress the choreography, Nalyvaiko returned to Russia. Tamara Hicks then began meeting with the 51 students aged seven-17 from Manitoba and Saskatchewan on a weekly basis to help them perfect the assorted dances. The opening show was a long day for the dancers; it began with an afternoon costume fitting (supplied by Moscow), professional pictures for parental purchase (no photos allowed for even the newspaper), a dress rehearsal and then the actual show, which is very active.

Nalyvaiko says, “The Nutcracker is one of the classical ballets. It’s a magical fairytale and very colourful. We use a lot of decorations and lots of things are going on onstage. Kids make our performance more alive and sincere.”

Last year’s dancers who did not audition this year were Mia Lepp, Madision Vandal and Sierra Bourdin; they were snowflakes and a mouse (Bourdin).