The Nutcracker in SEASIDE^® is Back! Saturday, Nov. 18, 5 p.m., Seaside Amphitheater

Ballet Pensacola Returns to Perform Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker for the 6^th Annual Event

Contact: Lori Leath Smith

850/714-3166 | lsmith@seasidefl.com

MEDIA ALERT

SEASIDE, Fla. (November 2017) – The Merchants of Seaside will host the 6th anniversary of the Nutcracker ballet to be performed by Ballet Pensacola. Now established as a Seaside holiday tradition, the one-time performance is complimentary and open to the public Sat., Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. in the Seaside Amphitheater.

The Nutcracker in Seaside is under the direction of Ballet Pensacola Artistic Director Richard Steinert. Known for his innovative and collaborative style of theatre and dance, Steinert has worked in repertory companies throughout the United States. Since his inaugural season as artistic director in 2007, he has held the attention of the ballet and arts community through a series of critically acclaimed performances and projects directed at broadening the experience of the dance enthusiast. “From dancing candy canes to sparkling fairies and snow, the whimsy of the Nutcracker performance in Seaside will create wonderful memories for every member of the family,” said Steinert. “With more than 25 years of experience presenting ‘The Nutcracker,’ Ballet Pensacola returns to bring this experience to the guests, artists and patrons of Seaside.”

Featuring Acts I and II, the Nutcracker in Seaside will last approximately an hour. Set to a score by Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, the performance will feature approximately 30 Ballet Pensacola dancers.

The first Nutcracker in Seaside was performed in 2012. There was standing room only for that first performance which ignited the holiday spirit in the hearts of those who now view the event as an area tradition.

“Seaside’s Nutcracker has become a beloved holiday tradition for this community, and Ballet Pensacola is honored to be part of this classic production now for a third year in Seaside,” said Ballet Pensacola Executive Director Frank Giammaria. “The audience is going to be delighted by this production which features our professional company of dancers and the support of the top students from Ballet Pensacola’s Academy.”

For more information, visit www.seasidefl.com or call (850) 714-3166.

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About Seaside

Seaside, built on 80 acres on Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, is located on South Walton County’s Hwy. 30-A. Acclaimed world-wide as one of the iconic examples of New Urbanism, Seaside offers a thriving town center with shopping and dining, all within walkable distance to homes, cottages and offices. Consisting of more than 400 homes, many of them vacation rentals, the community offers 18 restaurants and eateries and more than 40 shops, galleries and services.

Seaside is included on Cooking Channel’s Emeril’s Florida, Business Insider’s “18 of the most beautiful public spaces in the world,” according to urban designers, PBS “10 Towns that Changed America,” Trip Advisor’s 2016 “15 Rising Vacation Rental Destinations,” Travel Channel’s “2015 Best Family Beach,” Travel + Leisure’s “Best Beach on Earth” for families (2014) and included in USA Today’s “Top 10 Best Beach Towns in Florida (2013) by “Dr. Beach,” to name a few. The holiday town was also the primary filming location of the classic movie “The Truman Show.”

Seaside is a prominent topic in architectural schools and housing-industry magazines, is visited by design professionals from throughout the United States, and is included in the American Institute of Architects (Florida chapter) list of Florida Architecture: 100 Years 100 Places.

For more information about Seaside, please visit www.seasidefl.com.

About Ballet Pensacola:

Steinert has opened the door for tomorrow’s dancers through the Ballet Pensacola Academy where hundreds of young dancers are able to experience the joy of dance for themselves. Many of the dancers in Ballet Pensacola have received their training at the Ballet Pensacola Academy and many more find additional opportunities at other distinguished dance companies and training facilities and universities. As a guest instructor at many professional programs, Steinert is a sought after master teacher throughout the United States. He currently sits as a Scholar-In-Residence at The Bishops School in La Jolla, California. Steinert is also actively involved in teaching master classes and coaching young performers at his alma mater, Catawba College, in Salisbury, North Carolina

Ballet Pensacola is Pensacola’s only resident professional ballet company. The addition of full-time professional dancers to the ranks has enabled Ballet Pensacola to develop into a cultural cornerstone of the community.  Not only do professional dancers enable important outreach programming, but they also serve as inspiration to the many student dancers who share the stage.

Ballet Pensacola presents several major performances each season including a fall performance, the Nutcracker and a critically acclaimed spring repertory concert. In addition, outreach performances are presented to more than 15 local schools each season, reaching more than 10,000 students.

The Ballet Pensacola Company is comprised of the aforementioned professional dancers along with talented student dancers selected through an audition. Youth Ensemble members are also selected from an audition. The Youth Ensemble provides an excellent opportunity for Company bound young dancers to develop their technique and stagecraft prior to encountering the rigors of full Company responsibility. Dancers, in Tech 5 and above, who are fully registered students, may audition to join the Ballet Pensacola Company and Youth Ensemble. Participation in Ballet Pensacola Company activities, rehearsals and performances is extracurricular to the student’s training.

Company members may appear in performances, as well as outreach activities and other events. Through participation in Ballet Pensacola Company, dancers learn the artistic qualities and stagecraft that are necessary to the development of the dance artist.