INSIDE THIS SECTION
LIGHTS IN DENTON
Find lots of art by the younger artists in and around Denton Pages 3-5, 8, 13-14, 17
A peek at past lighting displays in the city. Page 12
Christmas in Denton County DentonRC.com
An advertorial supplement 18 pages
TODAY ON FRONT
Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2011
Denton, Texas
Lighting festival Friday
Bethlehem in Denton County: See the story of a Sanger woman’s collection of creches on today’s Page 1A.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
FILE PHOTO
An overview of last year’s holiday lighting festival in downtown Denton shows the event’s attraction among many in and around the area.
A father-daughter team enjoys the sights and sounds at the annual Holiday Lighting Festival. A complete schedule of events is inside. Page 9
A Gift for Emma
Sarah Jaffe, Midlake among musical talent By Lucinda Breeding Features Editor
The organizers have named it the “Holiday Music Spectacular.” The annual holiday party on the downtown Square is bound to feel a bit different this year. For nearly 20 years, Denton’s hometown musical treasure, Brave Combo, won’t send revelers into the thick of the holiday season with “The Chicken Dance” or the band’s venerated “Hokey Pokey.”
This year, the concluding concert makes way for a slate of Denton musicians known for headline-grabbing folk and jazz music: Sarah Jaffe, members of Midlake and Paul Slavens. This year’s celebration retains probably the longest-running musical tradition of the lighting: the Denton Community Band will get things started with the annual holiday sing-along, just before dignitaries turn on the Christmas tree lights and the festival stages get going. Marcus Watson, the outgoing presi-
dent of the Holiday Festival Association, said organizers were itching for a change right about the time Denton started getting serious about Halloween. “That’s when we got David Pierce involved in the event,” said Watson. “Seeing what he did with Circque du Horror, and how he’s just a sweet guy who is really able to get people together, we thought it was one of those golden opportunities. That, and the fact that Denton has gotten so much attention, nationally and even internationally, for our music. We thought the lighting festi-
val could really promote that.” Pierce said he took a cue from his friends when he recruited an 11-piece holiday orchestra with brass, winds and some percussion. “Becaus of the willingness of my friends to help out with Cirque du Horror, I thought why not create something for the holiday lighting,” he said. Cirque du Horror is an old fashioned Halloween musical that Pierce created See LIGHTS on Page 9
THE NUTCRACKER
Annual program starts the season with poise, grace
The Denton City Contemporary Ballet returns to the stage with its annual production of “A Gift for Emma” - a holiday fantasy in dance with more than 200 dancers. Page 7
AREA EVENTS
By Mikayla Martin For the Denton Record-Chronicle
FILE PHOTO
Lewisville’s annual Holiday at the Hall on Saturday is one of several in the region. Page 2
The story of The Nutcracker takes place on Christmas eve with Mr. and Mrs. Sturbaum and their daughter, Clara. When Clara’s favorite uncle, Drosselmeyer, suddenly appears in disguise, he brings four mechanical dolls and the nutcracker as gifts. The Nutcracker is a holiday classic that was originally inspired from E. T. A. Hoffmann in Germany in 1816.
The Festival Ballet of North Central Texas presents The Nutcracker, a holiday classic. The Nutcracker will be performed Dec. 10 at 2:30 and 7:30 and Dec. 11 at 2:30 in the Margo Jones Auditorium at the TWU campus. Ticket prices range from $10 to $35. “I think it’s going to turn out really good,” said sophomore Breanna Collier, who plays the role of an Arabian attendant. “Each teacher is really talented, and they make the students look as talented as they do during the dance.” The story of The Nutcracker takes place on Christmas eve with Mr. and Mrs. Sturbaum and their daughter, Clara.
When Clara’s favorite uncle, Drosselmeyer, suddenly appears in disguise, bringing four mechanical dolls and the nutcracker as gifts, the dances begin. Later that night, after the family has gone to bed, Drosselmeyer and the mechanical dolls reappear, a battle is fought against the Rat King and his mice, and the nutcracker is turned into a chevalier. The chevalier takes Clara on journey that begins in the Land of Snow. “I like the part with the mice when they fight the toy soldiers,” Collier said. “They’re tiny, they’re stomping, and they’re innocent. It’s really cute.” The Nutcracker is a holiday classic that was originally inspired from E. T. A. See NUTCRACKER on Page 8