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New York Dance Theatre of Commack marks 40th season of 'The Nutcracker'

Local young dancers will share the stage with New York City Ballet stars Indiana Woodward and Daniel Ulbricht in New York Dance Theatre’s 40th season of “The Nutcracker” at Hofstra University, 1000 Hempsteak Turnpike, Hempstead on Dec. 17 and 18 with performances at noon and 5 p.m. Woodward will perform as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Ulbricht will perform as her Cavalier.

The young dancers, students at the Ohman School of Ballet in Commack, will perform multiple roles in the iconic holiday story ballet including children in the Party Scene, Toy Soldiers and Mice in the Battle Scene, Snowflakes, Angels, and various confections in the Land of Sweets.

Aviva Hellman, a seventh grader at West Hollow Middle School in Dix Hills and Sonya Russo, a sixth grader at Nesaquake Middle School in St. James, play the central role of “Clara” each in two of the four performances. Claire DeVaney, a seventh grader at Commack Middle School, and Eileen Huntsman, a sixth grader at East Northport Middle School, share the pivotal role of Clara’s brother “Fritz,” who breaks Clara’s Nutcracker and sets the plot in motion, each in two of the four performances.

This year’s cast also includes Chloe Cantillo, Anna Clemente, Elysena DeStefano, Brynn Farino, Anna Gross, Isabel Gross, Sofia Gross, Marilyn Ihasz, Emily Kern, Emma Martir, Ava Napolitano, Alyssa Tavares, Sara Tobia, Nina Van Zandt, Vivienne Vasquez,

and Madison Wagner of Commack; Chloe Cheng, Esther Cheng, Mikaela Gluck, Emma Grabelsky, Galina Hellman, Ariel Kerley, Holly Lochridge, Elizabeth Pau, KIDS Carina San Jose, Adrianna Stucchio of Dix Hills; Olivia Deng of Melville; Clio Sun and TIMES Seraphina Moger of Greenlawn; Charlotte Stratton of Huntington; Addison Candelaria, Grace Galgano, and Kayla Kuprian of East Northport; Elodie Hennessy and Violet Hennessy of Centerport; Magdalen Schaefer of Kings Park; Sophia Ferro of Setauket; Olivia Wu of Stony Brook; and Mary Calefato, Laila DarConte, Chloe Foster, Molly Haft, Samara Kolodny, Evelyn McCaughey, and Amelia Grace Novellino of Smithtown. With the elegant Christmas Party Scene, the drama of the magical growing Christmas Tree, the Battle of the Toy Soldiers and Giant Mice, the live Snow Storm, and the brilliant dancing in the Land of the Sweets, “The Nutcracker” appeals to all ages. In all, a cast of 80 children, pre-professional and professional dancers will bring this classic ballet to life on the stage of the John Cranford Adams Playhouse. Tickets are $42, $32 seniors and children 12 and under plus $3 fee, available at www. ohmanballet.org or by calling 631-462-0964.

From left, Claire DeVaney, Sonya Russo, Aviva Hellman, and Eileen Huntsman Photo courtesy of New York Dance Theatre

Photo from Harbor Country Day School

Harbor Country Day School Fall food drive a success

In keeping with their annual tradition, the students of St. James’ Harbor Country Day School’s Student Council recently concluded their Fall 2022 Food Drive to benefit the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry. Over the course of two weeks, more than 400 pieces of nonperishable food items were collected. Those donated items were then delivered to the Food Pantry by Student Council officers on Nov. 30.

As shared by Pat Westlake, the Director of the Smithtown Emergency Food Pantry, “The Smithtown Food Pantry always looks forward to seeing the green Harbor Country Day School bus pulling into the driveway and welcoming the student council representatives. That green bus is always filled with an abundance of food obtained through student council efforts. The smiling students have not only collected the food, but also sorted, and packed it, before it ultimately is distributed to our neighbors who suffer from food insecurity. The pantry relies solely on donations and Harbor Country Day School greatly helps us to fulfill our mission of providing assistance to all who come to us.”

This year the pantry provided 267 Thanksgiving dinners and, thanks to the help of Harbor’s Student Council, the pantry will be providing more than 250 holiday dinners this December.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

TIME TO VOTE

From whimsical to classic, over 60 decorated trees line the walkways of the Stony Brook Village Center for the Ward Melville Heritage Organization’s annual Holiday Tree Competition. Voting for the competition is now open to the public through Dec. 21. Ballots for voting can be found in all shops within the Village Center. Photos by Heidi Sutton Send your Photo of the Week to leisure@tbrnewspapers.com