Ring in the Holiday Season in Tannersville with the world’s favorite ballet! On Saturday and Sunday, December 6-7 and December 13-14, the Catskill Mountain Foundation presents the tenth annual production of The Nutcracker. CMF’s Orpheum Dance Program Director and former Metropolitan Opera ballerina Victoria Rinaldi will partner with Joffrey Ballet School New York’s Pre-Professional program, Ballet Hispanico School of Dance, and Aquila Theatre to present this show, which has become a yearly favorite of residents of the Catskills and the Hudson Valley.
Part of what makes this production of The Nutcracker so special is the community involvement. This year record numbers of local children will appear as party children, mice, soldiers, angels, and in the Marzipan and Mother Ginger scenes.
This production of The Nutcracker is indeed a labor of love. For months leading up to the shows, Victoria works tirelessly to make it as exceptional as it can be, doing everything from rehearsing with both professional dancers and local children, to updating the choreography each year, to freshening the costumes. “It’s a beautiful exposure to a holiday tradition, and a great start to the holiday season,” says Victoria. “This year we’re thrilled to collaborate again with the wonderful dancers at Joffrey Ballet School New York, and Ballet Hispanico School of Dance.”
About The Nutcracker
With a libretto based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffman, The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It tells the story of a young girl, Clara, who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and his fierce battle against a Mouse King. Clara and the Prince travel to the Land of Sweets, ruled by the Sugar Plum Fairy, where she is treated to a celebration of sweets from around the world. To conclude the night, the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier perform a pas de deux that for many is the highlight of the ballet.
The Nutcracker Ballet was first presented in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892. Choreographer Marius Petipa commissioned Tchaikovsky, the famous Russian composer, to compose the ballet. George Balanchine popularized the ballet with his 1954 production, casting real children for the first time.
This Year’s Production
“Every year there are differences in our production,” says Victoria. “Scenes are embellished, improvements are made. Choreography becomes more advanced as the older students in the Community Class gain more experience. And since we have such large community participation this year, we will once again have multiple casts. We have three full casts this year, making this our largest production yet.”
Those multiple casts will include professional and pre-professional dancers from both Joffrey Ballet School New York and Ballet Hispánico School of Dance. Last year was Ballet Hispánico’s first year participating in the production, and they are already looking “I love working with outside programs,” said Victoria. “Joffrey could not perform the second weekend, as they have their own performance of The Nutcracker in the city. I’m thrilled to welcome Ballet Hispanico for the second weekend of performances.”
This year’s production features some familiar faces from the community returning, some in more challenging roles. Elvis D’Ambrosia and Kensi Dempsey return to share the role of Clara along with Aria Shoffler, taking on the role for the first time. Caleb Woodcock and Martin Henry will share the role of Fritz. Lada Svechnikova will once again play the Mouse Queen and will also dance the Arabian solo. Charlie Klepner from Joffrey Ballet School New York will return as the Nutcracker Prince the first weekend, and Nathan Smith stepping into the role the second weekend.
Actor Alex Scoloveno from the acclaimed Aquila Theatre Company, who appeared in this summer’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and in last year’s production of The Nutcracker, will once again join the cast as Drosselmeyer.
Ten Years of The Nutcracker
Ten years ago, this production of The Nutcracker was conceived as a thank you to the Catskill Mountain Foundation for allowing Victoria to coach in their beautiful space, The Red Barn. The Foundation wanted to give local children the gift of performing in a ballet. It has developed and grown over the past ten years and has touched both the participants and the audience, and has created a community that loves and embraces dance as something valuable to be shared.
Many alumni from early productions of The Nutcracker are now enjoying careers as professional dancers. The production’s first Clara, Sydney Henson, is now a dancer with the Cleveland Ballet. Orlando Harbutt, the first Nutcracker Prince, now appears with Ballet BC in Vancouver. Nikita Boris, the first Sugar Plum Fairy, just danced the same role at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. And Freeda Electra Handelsmann just performed at the Museum of Modern Art in a performance that was reviewed by both The New York Times and ArtForum.
These credentials are impressive, indeed, but it is the participation of local children in major roles that helps this production of The Nutcracker stand out from the rest. “When we started this production 10 years ago, the upstate involvement was limited to party children, mice, soldiers, angels, and Mother Ginger,” said Victoria. “Over the course of those 10 years, the abilities of the local students have grown to the point where I’ve added them as dancers in the Chinese, Ukrainian, Marzipan, and Arabian scenes, doubling their involvement and workload in the show.”
Community Dance Class
Many of the children in this production are year-round students in Victoria’s Community Dance Class. Formed in September of 2017 in response to the growing demand for dance classes on the mountaintop, participation in the class has expanded every year and more sessions are added each year. Everyone is welcome, no matter their ability. To date, over 100 children from the Mountaintop have received low-cost ballet lessons.
The Nutcracker is the Orpheum Dance Program’s premiere performance. In 2019 another yearly performance, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, was added to the roster. This unique production makes the Shakespeare comedy accessible by mixing spoken word with dance and is another perfect opportunity to have children dance alongside professionals.
In 2026, Victoria is excited to partner with Joffrey Ballet School NY, Ballet Hispanico School of Ballet, and Aquila Theatre in an original production of Cinderella, featuring music by Massenet. “I’ve been working on this production for a while,” said Victoria. “It’s funny, beautiful, and a production that people will want to see again and again. I’m even hoping for some audience participation!” Keep an eye out for the Catskill Mountain Foundation’s 2026 schedule of events for more details on this exciting new production.
In addition to the ballet classes, the Program offers a yearly spring recital, participation in all the Program’s productions, including The Nutcracker, plus occasional master classes and open rehearsals with visiting residencies.
Dance training is excellent for almost everyone. A child with dance training will carry themselves differently. They’ll cultivate discipline that will help them in almost every other instance in life. They learn to work well with others, and to take direction and criticism with grace. “For a lot of these kids, this will become a prominent childhood memory for them,” said Victoria. “These kids have a genuine quality of wonder and childlike exuberance and wonder that is lacking in other productions. And when you see them transform and become dancers on that stage, it’s really remarkable.”
For Tickets and More Information
Performances are Saturdays, December 6 & 13, 2025 at 2:00 & 7:00 pm and Sundays, December 7 & 14 at 2:00 pm. The Orpheum Performing Arts Center is located at 6050 Main Street, Tannersville, NY 12485. Tickets purchased ahead are $25 adults; $20 seniors; $7 students. Ticketing fees and higher at-the-door ticket prices apply. To purchase tickets, visit catskillmtn.org, call 518 263 2063, or email boxoffice@catskillmtn.org.