Students travel to Pittsburgh to see classic winter ballet
More than 20 students attended the presentation of “The Nutcracker Ballet” at the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh this past Saturday evening.
Waynesburg University filled its vans for the trip after tickets sold out at Student Services weeks prior.
Seeing the ballet presented a new experience for some students that had not seen the show before.
“I knew that “The Nutcracker” involved ballet, a nutcracker and a little girl,” said Jessie Kiner, senior nursing major. “Otherwise I knew very little about the show. I thought it was beautiful. Definitely an experience that made me a more well-rounded person. The dancers were captivating. I can’t imagine how much work goes into being able to do what they do.”
The ballet centers around a little girl named Marie that dreams of a magical land in which toys are enormous and can come to life. After a conflict with a mouse king, the girl’s nutcracker saves her from danger and then turns into a prince. The story has been adapted into multiple plays, movies and musical shows.
For junior criminal justice and psychology major Amy Hawley, Waynesburg’s trip to see “The Nutcracker” offered her an exciting and new opportunity.
“Seeing “The Nutcracker” was always something I have wanted to do, but sadly I have always had a conflicting interest come up,” said Hawley. “So this year, I was happy to see that the school was going at a time I would be able to make.”
“The Nutcracker” offered many stunning visuals and entertaining segments. Kiner said these elements added to her enjoyment of the show.
“During the second act when Marie and the Prince get to watch all these creatures and people perform for them, there were these four little kids, probably like three [years old], that came out in bee costumes and toddled around the stage with the sugar plum fairies, and it was so cute,” said Kiner.
Hawley said she was most impressed with the agility of the dancers and the implementation of comedy throughout the show.
Like other aspects of the arts, ballets certainly do not attract everyone. Kiner suggests that others broaden their entertainment horizons and give ballets a chance in the future, by possibly taking advantage of another trip through Waynesburg University.
“I think that everyone should see a ballet at some point in their life,” said Kiner. “The theater is a whole new realm of experience that students should have an opportunity to know.”
“The Nutcracker” can be seen at the Benedum Center until the end of December.