The Indiana University Ballet Theater presents department chair Michael Vernon's choreography for the fourth year in a row in the annual production of The Nutcracker.
Senior Caitlin Kirshenbaum will be a veteran of all four. "It's been very exciting to participate and watch the production develop and gradually change to become even more special and exciting."
A Small Town Girl Who Missed Out On Being A Mouse...
Kirshenbaum grew up in a small New Jersey community north of New York City. "We had a small dance studio. At first I focused on jazz dance competitions, but gradually ballet attracted me more and more." Her teacher and parents were very encouraging, and arranged for her to study at the Ballet Academy in New York City. "It was great, but I did spend an awful lot of time traveling. Most of my homework got done on trains."
Kirshenbaum is a little unusual among IU dancers and she didn't grow up in a yearly rotation through the Nutcracker's roles. "Our home studio was too small to put on a big piece like that." She did get to see the ballet, however. "My mother was terrific about taking me to things. When I was about five, we went to New York to see the Nutcracker. I'm still a little embarrassed to have to say I fell asleep before the curtain went up and dozed the whole way through."
...But Gets More Than The Cheese
This year Kirschenbaum dances two roles. Each has a very different feel. "On Friday evening, I'm the Sugar Plum Fairy in a dance that's very dramatic and energetic. On Saturday night, I'm the Snow Queen. She's very elegant and lyrical. They're both lovely roles." As for the matinees, Kirschenbaum says, "Oh, you can find me as one of those energetic Chinese dancers."