The holidays have come to Stanislaus county. With them, some of the most beloved stories are hitting the stage – and you don’t have to go far to see them.
The local Backstage Academy of Dance brings a timeless, festive story back to Turlock: their twenty-eighth annual performance of “The Nutcracker.”
“We started rehearsal the last week of October,” Hayley Ralston, an employee of the Backstage Academy of Dance, said. “The youngest [dancer] is 3 and a half, and they go all through to adults.”
Those who have seen “The Nutcracker” before, or even went to last year’s production, should not be discouraged from going to this year’s, according to Ralston.
“It changes every year,” Ralston said. “Every year it’s different.”
The window to catch this show is small, opening in the evening of Dec. 20 and closing the following night.
The production will take place at the Turlock Community Center at 1574 East Canal Drive, and if you bring your student ID you get away with the child price of $12 entry. Do not, however, let the price of the ticket determine the quality of the show.
“It is a classical ballet so it’s not like your local hokey dancing,” Ralston said.
For those who are looking to watch “The Nutcracker” a bit earlier, the Gallo Center for the Arts will also be hosting their annual production, performed by Central West Ballet. There are six shows beginning tomorrow night at 7 p.m. Tickets vary: $19 to $29 in the Grand Tier balcony and $44 for the Orchestra Front.
Offering an alternative to ballet, California State University, Stanislaus will put on a different kind of classic holiday performance in the form of “Christmas Stories: the Radio Plays” hosted by the Gallo Center for the Arts.
This production will be 1940s-style, appreciating these classic stories as they were meant to be told. This show has four performances scheduled beginning tomorrow night at 8 p.m. with prices ranging from $10 to $20 in the back Orchestra seating of the Foster Family Theater to an even $20 for the Orchestra Front.
Tickets for the Backstage Academy of Dance’s “ The Nutcracker” can be purchased at their studio, 957 East Monte Vista, at Encore Dance Apparel at 167 South Thor or even at the door the night of the event. Seating is first come, first serve, however, and tickets for adults without student ID are $20.
For either Gallo performance, tickets can be purchased online at tickets.galloarts.org or at the ticket office on 802 12th Street in Modesto. Watch the magic rise to life and support your local arts by attending any of these events throughout the holiday season.