It all begins in August. While many people are clinging to the final drops of summer, there exists a unique group who dive headfirst into the holiday season. As soon as August rolls around, dance moms across the nation find themselves daydreaming of sugar plum fairies and jamming out to Tchaikovsky, while wiping sweat from their foreheads – because The Nutcracker season flurries in despite the lasting heat of summer.
When Lori Finger, president of Hilton Head Dance Theatre’s board of directors, asked me to write an article celebrating the 40th season of The Nutcracker from a dance mom perspective, I felt both honored and confused. Do I really belong to the dance mom club? As I wrestled with denial, vivid memories surfaced – like the moment I enrolled my eldest daughter in ballet class almost as soon as the umbilical cord was cut, confirming that perhaps the “dance mom” title is indeed fitting. But I fell into this role honestly and, more importantly, I’m in good company.
Hilton Head Dance Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker has become a beloved tradition on Hilton Head Island, ranking among the most significant community events of the year. The nonprofit dance organization was established in 1986 by John Carlyle and Karena Brock-Carlyle, both highly regarded dancers. Karena is a former principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. John is a former professional dancer with City Center Dance Theatre, The Tampa Ballet, and The Savannah Ballet. The couple continue as artistic directors of HHDT.
“It’s important to recognize that all of this originates from John and Karena,” Finger said. “We are incredibly fortunate to have their vision!”
Lori’s daughter, Katie Finger Girardi, the ballet mistress of Hilton Head Dance School, began her journey there as a student in 1987. Now, she teaches where her learning began. Her daughter Karena, named for the beloved artistic director, is a dancer in the company.
Lori’s and Katie’s experiences proves that I’m not alone in this dance mom experience. this community spans generations, and – holy sugar plums, do we love The Nutcracker!
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The Mouse Problem
Staging a large production like The Nutcracker in a small town is no easy feat. John and Karena began with only 17 dancers. John recounted how they had a skeleton crew of extremely talented dancers – but the average age was just 5 years old.
“We had issues with the mice and the soldiers,” he said, chuckling. “The little ones were absolutely terrified of the Mouse King. Whenever he made an appearance, they would dash off stage in fright. Mothers would be chasing after their little ones in the wings. It was chaos!” Typically, the Mouse King is portrayed as a dark figure, but something had to change because the young dancers were too scared to perform. As an artistic director, John embraced the challenge. Finding this Mouse “problem” funny, he re-imagined the Mouse King to resemble a blend of Wile E. Coyote meets the Road Runner. “He’s goofy, and he just keeps coming back – much like the cartoon characters of old,” John said.
Today, the baby mice and Mouse King scene is one of the most popular and everyone in attendance embodies the essence of every dance mom. When those minuscule mice turn to the audience and shake those little tails, even the grumpiest of Grinches can’t help but smile – and the crowd goes wild!
Journey of the Dancer
For most dance moms, the journey into the world of The Nutcracker begins with the role of the Snowflake. This part starts at the young age of 3. The Snowflakes make their entrance at the end of the “Waltz of the Snowflakes,” the iconic part of the ballet where the company members perform a grand, fast-paced waltz. The tiny Snowflakes flurry onstage during the matinee shows only (thanks to their early bedtimes), wearing fluffy white tutus and adorned with shimmery crowns that make them resemble adorably delicious balls of snow.
They are accompanied by the Snow Queen, who has just completed a challenging pas de deux with the Snow King. This whole scene evokes deep feelings of nostalgia for everyone onstage as well as the audience. Parents of the little Snowflakes are dreaming of the possibility that one day when their daughter is older, she could possibly morph from tiny toddler to picturesque Snow Queen.
Conversely, the parents of the Snow Queen are sobbing because they remember her, years ago, as a delicious Snowflake! This emotion is accompanied by the hauntingly beautiful music of Tchaikovsky. The flittering sounds of the flutes and strings during this piece take the drama into overdrive. The Snowflakes run off stage talking about how they will be mice next year – and the succession of The Nutcracker lives on.
The cast of characters behind this deep tradition are as dynamic as the roles themselves. Ballet master Jamal Edwards and longtime ballet teacher and board member Caitlin Hoffman both speak to the importance of the tradition of the roles.
“The connection comes from where they were and where they are now,” Edwards said. He began dancing at the school as a young teen and has continued as a dance professional and choreographer ever since. In The Nutcracker, he plays a crucial role by guiding the dancers and partnering with them during each pas de deux.
As he shares his experiences, his pride and nurturing spirit shine through, knowing that he is often their first dance partner. “It’s important to make them feel at ease, and supporting them is important,” he said.
Edwards lays the groundwork, performs, and supports the dancers in partnering with the professional guest dancers from across the country that join the company for the performances. He takes his responsibilities seriously. The bond is strong, and he smiles as he recalls that his inaugural class of ballerinas are now college sophomores. The instructors show as much commitment to the dancers as their families do, and this respect is palpable in every scene.
Hoffman’s connection to HHDT is deeply personal, as her sister danced at ABT alongside Karena Brock-Carlyle.
“Every community has their unique spin on The Nutcracker, but HHDT really takes care to tell the entire story through every role,” she said. “Young or old, each role represents growth and a dream imagined.”
Petite Snowflakes add charm to the iconic Snow Scene during the Sunday matinees
The Frosting
The Nutcracker embodies a real-life snow globe – the saccharine sweetness of the story twirls around and creates such joy. The magic of this production is undeniable. What adds an extra layer of sweetness to HHDT’s Nutcracker are the costumes.
If you’ve been lucky enough to attend performances over the years, you can’t help but notice that the sets and costumes are exceptional. For instance, the Mouse King and the Mouse heads were crafted by renowned puppeteer and puppet master Angela Beasley of Savannah. The stunning backdrops were painted by artist Jack Richard, who creates a fresh original piece for the program every year.
Most impressively, the costumes hold a special place in the production’s history. “In the early years, I used my old costumes from my time at ABT, and my mother, who was an amazing seamstress but preferred the title, costume designer, helped out,” Karena said. “She would even find materials from her home in California – attending bazaars in Beverly Hills where she sometimes discovered gowns worn by actresses! One gown belonged to Greer Garson, a renowned star from Hollywood’s Golden Age. We incorporated that gown into our early costumes, bringing a touch of real Hollywood glamour to our ballerinas.”
A very high standard has been set for the costume designs, John said. “Sometimes we do order something that works out, but a lot of times, we decide to hand-make the costumes,” he said. “It just turns out better that way. We are very particular.”
Behind the scenes, an army of dance moms serve as seamstresses, hand-sewing the beautiful costumes. Some of these women no longer have children participating in the production but remain on board to keep the tradition going.
Community
There are few occasions throughout the year when you can truly check your worries at the door, but The Nutcracker offers this escape. You are likely to meet up with a number of friends and neighbors there. While many are drawn to Hilton Head Island because of its beautiful beaches, it’s the sense of community that reels us in and one reason we choose to raise our families here.
On behalf of dance moms everywhere, I encourage you to abandon the bleakness of the real world for a bit and enter the Hilton Head Dance Theatre world that is 40 years in the making. Lean into the kitschy, sticky sweet, and whimsical world of The Nutcracker, where Snow Queens and Sugar Plum Fairies come to life and mischievous Mice linger in the wings as Dew Drops and Chocolate prance about in the Land of Sweets … a place where the magic of the holidays lasts forever.
Performances of The Nutcracker will be November 14-15, 21-22 at 7:30 p.m. and November 16 and 23 at 2:30 p.m. at the Seahawk Cultural Center, 50 Wilborn Road. Tickets are available at hiltonheaddance.com.
