Once a Nutmegger, always a Nutmegger
December 19, 2013
The beautiful costumes are boxed up, the set pieces lovingly disassembled and packed away, and the hard-working dancers of the Nutmeg Ballet have headed in many directions to wherever they call home for some well-deserved rest over the holiday break.
So many families pitched in to make this year’s Nutcracker production stand out whether it was designing and building new fog machines, rewiring set pieces and sprucing up sets, volunteering backstage, chaperoning the children, doing make-up and hair, or simply helping out with carpools to rehearsals. At The Nutmeg Ballet, dance is a family affair.
In fact, generation after generation has returned to The Nutmeg Ballet to train and hone their skills. The branches of many family trees go back to the very roots of this organization that was founded in 1969 and held its very first class in the charming building on Torrington’s Migeon Avenue.
Fast forward to 2013 and you will find that while the building is still charming, the move to Main Street also includes state-of-the-art studios, resident dormitories, and a Dance Shop that is making its mark in the Downtown Torrington arts corridor on Main Street.
But even though The Nutmeg is bigger and bolder and has evolved into a nationally acclaimed classical ballet program that includes a residential facility and high school academic program, it still retains the hometown family-friendly character that sets this professional-level training facility apart.
Artistic Director Victoria Mazzarelli, who trained with Sharon Dante for 14 years and was honored with the only gold medal awarded at the New York International Ballet Competition in 1984, returned to her hometown of Torrington in 2003 to take on the role of Assistant Artistic Director. Her beautiful daughter, Alma, now dances at The Nutmeg Ballet dancing her way through the ranks of the Torrington School of Ballet. This is truly a family endeavor, as Mazzarelli’s husband, Thomas Evertz, an accomplished theater actor, graces the stage of The Nutmeg’s Nutcracker as Herr Drosselmeyer bringing a sophistication and charisma to the annual production.
There is a noteworthy tradition of disciplined training in classical ballet at The Nutmeg. Sisters, brothers, cousins, sons, and daughters of Nutmeg Ballet alumni carry on Sharon Dante’s vision of a rigorous ballet school based on the Vaganova methodology that incorporates neo-classical and contemporary styles.
Students from various Connecticut towns and even bordering states commit to a daily commute to Torrington to train under the direction of the accomplished international artistic staff and guest artists, while others become resident students traveling thousands of miles from home to live and train at The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory.
Many students begin their Nutmeg Ballet journey in a class with Susan Szabo, Children’s Program Director of the Torrington School of Ballet, while others come for the summer intensive programs at The Nutmeg Ballet and then determine that they wish to continue their training year-round.
No matter where they come from or at what stage of their training they begin their Nutmeg Ballet journey, however, one thing rings true. Once a Nutmegger, always a Nutmegger.
The Nutmeg family story would not be complete without including the many sponsors this year including The Register Citizen, Torrington Savings Bank, Patterson Oil, Marola Motors, Torrington Downtown Partners, Commercial Sewing, Burns, Brooks & McNeil, Litchfield Bancorp, Toce’s, Santoro’s, and each of the playbill advertisers who support the arts in our community.
When you are part of The Nutmeg Ballet Conservatory, you become more than a trainee, parent, volunteer, or sponsor. You are a treasured member of the Nutmeg Ballet family.
If you would like to learn more about The Nutmeg Ballet’s training programs and upcoming summer intensive program audition tour, or if your young child is ready to take some pre-school or ballet appreciation classes at the Torrington School of Ballet, please visit nutmegballet.org online or call 860.482.4413.
No matter where they come from or at what stage of their training they begin their Nutmeg Ballet journey, however, one thing rings true. Once a Nutmegger, always a Nutmegger.
IN THE MEDIA
In the days leading up to opening night of The Nutcracker, the music of Tchaikovsky flows out of the third-floor studio at the Nutmeg Ballet Conservancy in Torrington during dress rehearsals. It’s time to make costume adjustments, finesse dancer movements, and remind performers to smile at appropriate times. Read the full article https://litchfieldmagazine.com/onourradar/behind-the-scenes-at-nutmeg-ballets-the-nutcracker
