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Published by the Hill Country Sun.
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December 2013
LOCAL INFORMATION & ADVERTISING
Charming “Nutcracker” ballet close to home
I
By Laurel Robertson
f a favorite part of your holiday season is enjoying the splendor of “The Nutcracker” ballet - but you don’t love fighting traffic, packing into a crowded theater, or paying sky high ticket prices for the pleasure - take heart. On December 21 and 22, Ballet Southwest Academy (BSA) will present their fourth annual production of “The Nutcracker” in the Austin Waldorf School’s Performing Arts Center. Elegant costuming, colorful staging and accomplished dancers will deliver all of the wonder - with none of the hassle. The performance, at just over an hour plus a short intermission, is the perfect length for children of all ages, says owner and director of Ballet Southwest Academy Lisl Vaillant-McDonald. Lisl is very familiar with “The Nutcracker” and a full array of classical bal-
lets. After graduating from the American School of Ballet in New York City, she danced professionally for 25 years as a member of the Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle (including their performances of “The Nutcracker”) and as a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet. She also toured with the National Ballet Company’s production of Phantom of the Opera. When Lisl moved to Austin with her family 12 years ago, she taught dance at Ballet Austin and other schools, but after numerous requests for ballet classes from parents of students at the Waldorf School (where her daughter, Ainsley, is a student), she opened Ballet Southwest Academy in 2009. Classes at BSA focus on traditional ballet instruction, encouraging students to learn the importance of process and quality of work while improving their coSee BALLET SOUTHWEST ACADEMY, page 2
Members of Ballet Southwest Academy will present “The Nutcracker” December 21-22 at the Austin Waldorf School. Photo courtesy Ballet Southwest Academy.
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