Young Lynnwood dancers crack cast of PNB’s ‘Nutcracker’

There may be some misconception that Seattle and the Pacific Northwest Ballet hold ownership over the traditional holiday ballet, “The Nutcracker.”

Well, Snohomish County is infiltrating its ranks — one young dancer at a time.

This year’s performance has two young dancers from Lynnwood performing as militia in the ballet’s action-packed fight scene.

One is a veteran “Nutcracker” dancer at just 11 years old. She speaks with authority when she says there’s nothing much cooler than the fight scene in “The Nutcracker.”

“Last year my class actually saw ‘The Nutcracker’ and they all loved the fight scene, though my favorite personally is the party scene,” said Lily Kotovic, a student at Martha Elementary.

Lily, who has been dancing since she was 3, will perform as an artillery captain this year; it’s a promotion so to speak, but she doesn’t get to fire the cannon.

Though Lily has performed in three productions of “The Nutcracker,” she still is awed by the PNB production, especially the Maurice Sendack sets.

“The scenery, the background, all those amazing drawings — the Sendack set brings it all together and it’s just beautiful, ” Lily said in a phone interview. “Looking at it each time, I see new things. There’s so much detail. It’s amazing.”

Abigail Opper, 12, is a home-schooled Lynnwood dancer performing in her second “Nutcracker” as a member of the cavalry.

As part of her costume, Abigail becomes a horse in the fight scene, her favorite part of the ballet.

“It’s the most actiony,” Abigail said. “It’s really crazy with all the people.”

Abigail, who will audition again next year for the coveted part of Clara, said audiences this year will definitely enjoy the giant growing tree.

“‘Nutcracker’ is a really great show,” Abigail said.

With music by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, choreography by Kent Stowell and sets and costumes by Sendak, the PNB’s production draws on E.T.A. Hoffman’s original, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,”

The book inspired French writer Alexandre Dumas and, ultimately, Tchiakovsky because of its timeless charm.

A girl, Clara, receives a nutcracker at a Christmas party; that night her dreams come to life on stage with dancing mice, snowfall and a small army of child dancers.

The scary part of the dream is the fight scene where an evil Mouse King and his army of toy soldiers battle the Nutcracker. During the scene and with Clara’s aid, the Nutcracker defeats the Mouse King.

The PNB’s “Nutcracker” features a huge cast of children.

Pacific Northwest Ballet’s “Nutcracker” opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday and runs at various times through Dec. 29 at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall at the Seattle Center, 321 Mercer St., Seattle.

Tickets range from $25 to $130. Go to www.pnb.org or call 206-441-2424.

Theresa Goffredo: 425-339-3424; goffredo@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.