Nutmeg Nuggets: Conservatory to honor Chuck Lautz
December 13, 2018
For the Register Citizen By Jack Sheedy
TORRINGTON – Special recognition will be given to longtime Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory volunteer Chuck Lautz at Nutmeg’s final 2018 performance of “The Nutcracker” Sunday at the Warner Theatre.
Friends, family, Nutmeg students and their parents are invited backstage after the performance to celebrate Chuck’s more than 20 years of service. He will be honored with a gift of a nutcracker in celebration of his faithful care of the 22-year-old “Nutcracker” scenery, which will be retired after this season.
The set was designed by Campbell Baird and was first used in 1996. A new set designed by Roger LaVoie will be unveiled for the 2019 season.
Chuck was a driving force behind the renovation of the building at 58 Main Street that is now Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts. He was chair of the building committee and owner of New Milford Window Cleaning, which cleaned not only the windows, but polished the floors of the new space prior to its ribbon-cutting in June 2001.
Donna Mattiello, academic dean at Nutmeg Conservatory, said, “Chuck began hanging around the studios when his daughter, Stephanie, was a student in the late 80s and 90s.”
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He began volunteering backstage at “Nutcracker” performances and even played a cameo role as the Grandfather in one performance. After his on-stage appearance, he returned to his backstage duties.
“Chuck has always been a mainstay at Nutmeg whether it had to do with the ‘Nutcracker’ set or any part of the performance,” said Joan Kunsch, associate artistic director. “Chuck has always been there, always helping, totally selfless, generous in everything that he has done for Nutmeg.”
Sharon Dante, Nutmeg founder and executive director, said, “We give him credit for this production, but more so, I give him credit for our building, because as chair of the building committee, he was with me and he was able to go and talk to the construction people many times in a way that I would not be able to do.”
Joe Fazzino, treasurer of Nutmeg’s board of directors, has volunteered with Chuck for many years. “You build up a relationship with people over the years as you load in the set and unload it at night,” he said. “You learn a lot about the people and you stay in touch throughout the year, not just ‘Nutcracker’ season. You bond over a shared work that you’re doing and have a lot of laughs.”
“He’s invulnerable,” said Tim Melady, principal ballet master and national audition tour co-director. Melady also stage manages “Nutcracker” performances. “Chuck knows every single part of this set in his head. He operates the crank that makes the Christmas tree grow. He has often been in charge of making the snow fall during performances. He always has the best snow bag technique. He makes the snow fall beautifully.”
Except for one year, Fazzino said. “One year the snow bag was installed improperly, and Chuck was pulling down on the cord and it was very light. He pulled harder and emptied the entire snow bag.”
“It was a blizzard!” Chuck said in a phone interview. “One of the ropes broke and it just dropped all of the snow.”
Chuck said he got involved with volunteering when his daughter Stephanie was a Nutmeg student. He quickly took a keen interest in the inner workings of Nutmeg, which then occupied a small space on Water Street. He was one of a group of people who saw a need for a bigger studio.
“I was on the building committee with Joe Fazzino and Kent Humphrey,” he said. “I was like the on-hand supervisor, checking to make sure everything was all right. Clerk of the works, they called it. I did all the construction cleanup, which I’ve been doing for years with my New Milford Window Cleaning company.”
Looking back on more than 20 years of volunteering, Chuck said, “We have more fun and memories. We’ll see what happens next year. We’ll do some more.”
Final performances of this season’s “The Nutcracker” are Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Warner Theatre. For ticket information, call the Warner box office at 860-482-7180 or go online at warnertheatre.org.
IN THE MEDIA
After 50 years of building a reputation for professionalism in dance instruction, Nutmeg Ballet was forced to put that reputation to the test this year. Audition tour director Joan Kunsch injured her arm and was unable to go on her annual 18-city nationwide recruiting tour. But, “Nothing will be canceled,” she promised in early December. “It was up to me to solve it,” said Kunsch. “I thought, ‘Who better to represent Nutmeg than the former students who are making professional company careers around the country?’” She compiled a list of about a dozen Nutmeg alumni around the country and called them. They eagerly accepted the challenge. For example, Kunsch said, “We have a Nutmeg graduate, Amy Potter, who is a principal dancer in the Oklahoma City Ballet, and I called her and she’s ecstatic to do it. She said, ‘Proudly, I would do it. Proudly.’” Another former student, Thel Moore, trained at Nutmeg from 2012 to 2015. He agreed to cover three of Kunsch’s scheduled cities, including Richmond, Va., where he is a danseur at the Richmond Ballet Company. Moore said in an email, “What I typically look for in an audition is a base in classical ballet but also a love for ballet as well. I’m looking for a spark that you usually can’t teach but mold into something beautiful.” He said students are nervous at first, but “when they see the brochure [and] how beautiful the building is and how incredibly professional the staff is, they usually lighten up and get really excited for the audition.” The far-flung team of Nutmeg-trained dancers are directing auditions in January and February in nearly 40 cities in the United States and Canada. Some of these cities are on Tim Melady’s usual itinerary as audition tour co-director. Melady, Nutmeg’s principal ballet master, is also standing in for Kunsch in several cities. Speaking by phone from an airport near St. Louis, Mo., Melady said, “I have been to the West Coast. Seattle had a good turnout. Portland had a good turnout. San Francisco had a good turnout, and they are all so interested in Nutmeg and Torrington!” He said, “We’re so lucky that we have such a respected reputation.” When an auditioning dancer asks about Nutmeg, he refers them to former Nutmeg students in the area, who are happy to talk about their experiences. Melady said the constant influx of students from thousands of miles away is enriching for them, for Nutmeg and for Torrington. “People come to Nutmeg and say, ‘Oh my God, we’re meeting people from Wyoming! From California! This is crazy.’ Everybody knows about Nutmeg Ballet. It’s wonderful!” Kunsch said that when she has gone on the audition tour – which she has done every year since 1993 – she tells dancers, “Not only are you auditioning for Nutmeg; Nutmeg’s auditioning for you.” She tells them, “We’re not looking for perfection. If you were perfect, would you need us? We’re looking for trainability.” Moore said, “Bringing talent from all over is very important because it keeps Nutmeg as one of the best schools to train at in the United States.” Melady said, “[The auditioners] have heard of us, and they’ve heard of our reputation. And that’s a real advantage. Our reputation is golden. There are more and more schools just vying for this slice of talent. And there is always talent.” Victoria Mazzarelli, artistic director, said Torrington auditions at the Nutmeg Conservatory attract not only local aspirants but dancers from New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Pennsylvania for both the summer and year-round programs. Remaining auditions at the Conservatory at 58 Main Street are Feb. 1, 15, 29 and March 7, from 9 a.m. to noon. And by the way, said Mazzarelli, locals are most welcome! “During these next few months, our year-round students and faculty are rehearsing and preparing for our Spring Studio Series that will be held on March 18, 19, 20 and 21,” she said.