The National Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, a holiday classic that transports the audience to the glittering land of snowflakes and the sugar plum fairy, will begin its annual run at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre next month.
And this year, one young Vancouver dancer is about to hit the stage as one of the main characters.
“I am Misha,” said 13-year-old Angus Crerar.
“Misha and Marie are the two siblings who kind of cause trouble. They go on this huge journey in their sleep to a bunch of places.”
Crerar took his first dance class about six years ago at the Driftwood Dance Academy in North Vancouver. He studied hip hop, jazz, and musical theatre, but it was ballet he was most drawn to.
“It’s more organized, there’s more structure to it,” he said.
“I just felt like it was very precise, and I wanted to be precise.”
Every year, the National Ballet School hosts a North American audition tour to scope out the brightest, most talented dancers to join its programs. After attending several auditions and a summer intensive at the National Ballet School, Crerar is now training full-time in Toronto.
Crerar says it is an honour to have a chance to be in the production.
“The thing I’m most looking forward to when rehearsals are over and when I’m actually dancing on stage is how exciting it will be to do so many shows,” he said.
Over 180 students will perform in the production. Lead roles will rehearse for more than 60 hours before hitting the big stage.