December 10, 2024
The South Mississippi Ballet Theatre transported audiences into a world of wonder during their 11th Annual production of The Nutcracker held at the Brownstone Center for the Performing Arts at Pearl River Community College. The company graced the stage for three performances over the December 7th weekend.
Since its emergence in the late 1960s, The Nutcracker has firmly established itself as a treasured holiday tradition across North America. The enchanting combination of Tchaikovsky’s memorable melodies, vibrant costumes, and fluid choreography weaves a spellbinding experience that delights audiences. The theater buzzed with applause for impressive jumps and turns, celebrating the talents of even the youngest stars on stage.
Professional dancers and pre-professional students collaborated to bring Clara’s magical Christmas Eve journey to life, featuring costumes and hand-painted sets that transformed the stage into a fairy tale realm.
For the performances at PRCC, Ethan Maas (Lexington, KY) danced the role of the Nutcracker Prince as well as the Cavalier.
The performances drew enthusiastic crowds from across south Mississippi. Many attendees celebrated a treasured holiday tradition, while others came to encourage their loved ones in the cast.
Jane and Tom Hudnall came with their grandson, Rooke, who brought a beloved nutcracker from his collection to the show. They have attended the production for the last few years, going up to Hattiesburg one time when they missed the Poplarville shows.
“We love spending this time with our grandson while enjoying the ballet and cultural aspect,” said Hudnall. “He started coming very young and collects nutcrackers that he displays in his room.”
Myra Gill attended with her mother, Amy. Myra took dance for six years and is in her third year of cheer. After seeing The Nutcracker for the first time, she is now dreaming of being part of a future production.
“The performance was really good,” said Gill. “My favorite part was in the beginning when Fritz broke the nutcracker, and he got in trouble – it was funny to me.”
SOUTH MISSISSIPPI BALLET THEATRE (SMBT)
Based in Hattiesburg, SMBT was founded by Arkadiy and Katya Orohovsky in 2010 to offer a pre-professional ballet curriculum and bring the art of classical ballet to the area. Their goal is “to educate both children and adults about the training, culture, and history of classical ballet while offering them a chance to pursue the art in whatever capacity they choose.”
Learn more about SMBT at southmsballet.org/index.php.
UPCOMING EVENTS AT THE BROWNSTONE
The spring semester has several performances scheduled. Ticket sales are currently open for:
Annie Moses Band — Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
Variety Show — Feb. 25 at 7 p.m.
Clue — April 3 & 4 at 7 p.m.
Symphonic Band — April 10 at 7 p.m.
JazzCats — April 15 at 7 p.m.
Spring Pops featuring The Voices, Currents & Rapids — April 22 at 7 p.m.
Purchase your tickets at prcc.edu/brownstone/events.
For the latest news on Pearl River Community College, visit PRCC.edu and follow us on Twitter (@PRCC_Wildcats), Instagram (PRCCWILDCATS), Facebook (@PRCCMKTG), and TikTok (@prcc_wildcats).
Article and photography by Laura O’Neill.
