The 2022 Austin Prep Nutcracker commenced on Monday, December 12, featuring an extensive cast of dancers. The Nutcracker is a quintessential Christmas tradition at Austin Prep, creating holiday cheer around campus each year. It is a ballet production that tells the classic story of Clara, a girl whose Nutcracker doll comes to life and takes her on a magical adventure. Each year, the whole Austin community gets involved in this production with a cast ranging from 6th graders all the way up to seniors. Some of the dancers in the show have danced since before they could walk while others took their first steps onstage on opening night. 

The Nutcracker took place at the Collins Center in Andover for the first time this year. In the past, the production always came to life on campus itself, in Meelia Hall. Last year, the show expanded for the first time, taking place at the Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham. This was a huge success for the dancers and elevated the show to a new level. This year, we brought the show to an even larger venue. The first night at the Collins Center boasted over 500 attendees. The stage was bigger than ever before and there were many magical production elements that enhanced the show in new and exciting ways; the lights frequently changed to reflect the mood of the various dances, the snowflake scene featured flurries of snowflakes falling onto the stage, and the angel scene was supplemented by fog cascading across the stage.

The principal role of Clara was danced by Emerson Byrne ‘26 and Maggie O’Brien ‘26. The two dancers each played Clara on one night and danced other roles on the remaining night. The role of Clara has been passed on from dancer to dancer, creating a unique bond between all of the Claras through the years. Some other principal roles included Dew Drop fairy (played by Morgan O’Donnel ‘24 and Emma Losolfo ‘24), Snow Queen (played by Emma Losolfo ‘24 and Alyssa Pacheco ’23), and Sugar Plum fairy (played by Olivia Ferri ‘23 and Kate Beckel ‘23). There were other unique performances that extended beyond the discipline of ballet such as the Irish step dancing in the Irish Coffee role (performed by Claire Harrington ‘26) and the ribbon work in Russian (performed by Elena Klimashova ‘26). As always, the show was a huge success and great fun for everyone involved.