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24 * WATERLOO CHRONICLE + Wednesday, December 19, 2007 hree Waterloo sisters are among a I group of young local dancers who will take the stage this holiday season in one of the world‘s most famous ballets. "But once you know it, it‘s a lot of fun," Allie said. "I like when the curtain opens â€" that‘s my favourite part," said Allie Forte, 14, who plays Klara, the lead children‘s role in The Nutcracker, a show that‘s become a Christâ€" mas tradition for many families. Allie and her sister Sam, 12, are touring in this production with Ballet Jorgen Canada‘s professional dancers to locations across Ontario. And their 10â€"yearâ€"old sister, Jamie, will join them in the local production at the Cenâ€" tre in the Square later this month. _ All of the girls, who train at the Davenâ€" port Dance Project, have been in the show before, and they admit the long rehearsals are demanding. After their victory, the nutcracker â€" now a handsome prince â€" and Klara embark on a mystical journey to the Kingdom of Snow and the Land of Sweets, where they meet the Sugar Plum Fairy. She describes this ballet as entertaining and dynamic, full of surprises from the beginning to the end. _ â€" s The Nutcracker takes place on Christmas Eve. As one of her presents, Klara gets a nutâ€" cracker doll, which she sneaks downstairs to play with after her family is fast asleep. _ When the clock strikes midnight, someâ€" thing strange happens. Large mice and rats appear and begin to chase her. _ oo _ She‘s not defenseless though as the doll suddenly comes to life to protect her in a battle that ensues. The ballet ends with Klara sleeping on her couch clutching her nutcracker doll under her arm. "The Nutcracker is basically the dream of a little girl," said Clea Iveson, the show‘s youth outreach coâ€"ordinator. "It‘s Christâ€" mastime when magic comes alive." "That‘s combined with just a beautiful display of dance, mixed with acting and cosâ€" tumes and music, of course. Tchaikovsky‘s Nutcracker is beautiful," she said. For the Forte sisters, a highlight of the show is the first act‘s battle scene, in which "a lot of cool stuff happens," according to "Everything grows and then we have a wooden archway and it grows and the tree grows and this bomb shoots and all these streamers fly out." ‘The Nutcracker‘ Waterloo dancers joining professional troupe in local show Iveson, meanwhile, said the dancing in By Jennirer OrmstoN Chronicle Staff Ballet Jorgen Canada‘s The Nutcracker is coming to the Centre in the Square on Dec. 28. Dancer Maya Ashoka is photographed as Klara. ARTS FOCUS PHOTO CourTEsy Of pavip HOu Act 2 stands out too. "Each individual dance has its own charâ€" acter and its just wonderful to watch the dancers produce that beautiful aura that will change and transform the atmosphere of the stage with each dance," she said. Ballet Jorgen Canada, the fifth largest of six ballet companies in the country, invites children from the communities where it‘s performing The Nutcracker to join the proâ€" fessional dancers on stage because there are no kids in the company. "It just seems fitting to involve the chilâ€" dren and at Christmastime I think we know that a lot of it is about the kids and sharing with kids, that‘s what makes it fun," said Iveâ€" son. "It also gives the students a wonderful opportunity to get on stage and work with professional dancers." Iveson has worked firstâ€"hand with Allie, who she said brings a lot of warmth to her performance. _ â€" "Her youthfulness is very apparent and she‘s very dedicated to her performance when she‘s onstage," she said. "She has a maturity in her performance as well." Ballet Jorgen Canada‘s The Nutcracker premiered in November 1995, and it‘s been coming to Kitchenerâ€"Waterloo ever since. . Iveson said she always enjoys performing on the local stage â€" joined by the Kâ€"W Symâ€" phony and the Grand Philharmonic Youth Choir â€" which she believes is one of the best in Canada. _ Allie agrees. "It really inspires me," she said. It returns to the Centre in the Square this year on Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. "The orchestra, of course, is the main attraction really because it‘s usually the only place we have an orchestra," she said. "It just adds a whole new level to the performâ€" ance. "And in recent years we‘ve been involvâ€" ing the local choir and that‘s just beautiful too to hear the children‘s voices and know that it‘s live. "The teamwork that goes into that show "Her youthfulness is very apparent and she‘s very dedicated to her performance when she‘s onstage." â€"Clea Iveson The Nutcracker‘s youth coâ€"ordinator Continued on page 25