Garden City Ballet’s The Nutcracker has been a thread throughout my life as a dancer, parent and choreographer. One of my favorite years was the 25th anniversary. I danced the role of Clara’s mother, my sons were in the party scene and my daughter was a Gingersnap. Mayor Engen made a special appearance as Mother Ginger and the crowd loved it. Dance builds community and brings joy into the world.
The Garden City Ballet has done so much for my family over the years. Starting with our eldest sons decades ago, the thrilling experience of being cast in The Nutcracker has led to dance, musical theater, and music composition degrees as well as vibrant, award winning careers in theater and musical performance throughout the nation that have brought such joy and enrichment into the lives of us all. As my only daughter (and youngest child) grew up, stars in her eyes for the swirling tutus alight on stage, it was quite clear that The Nutcracker Ballet would be her home away from home. From the moment she could walk, she was dancing, and this year, through dedication and hard work, she has reached her hallmark goal of being strong enough to obtain pointe shoes; now, her ballet dreams are swirling around our family like sugar plum fairies! Thank you for helping to create such an enriching and truly magical ballet experience for our children. The GCB Nutcracker is such an amazing opportunity for the dancers AND the audience alike, for through this amazing organization, dreams take hold and are given the wings to fly. Our community is better for it, and as time melds with the talent borne on your stage, the world is better for it too!
Dear Garden City Ballet, Thank you so much for the scholarship for my summer internship at Broadway Dance Center! You have no idea the financial burden it lifted off my family. I have loved being a part of GCB shows. Each one has taught me so much and given me memories that will last forever.
When I graduated from high school, a lot of my friends stopped doing Nutcracker, but I decided to continue on. For me, The Nutcracker is a tradition. The Christmas season wouldn’t be the same without being on stage with my fellow dancers.
What a great blessing it has been for Western Montana to have The Nutcracker presented to us at the holiday season for 25 years. As a member of this community, it is an honor to donate to this wonderful event. With the support of businesses and individuals, we can look forward with great anticipation to 25 more years of this wonderful production.
I remember the first time I saw snow fall from the depth of the fly space onto the stage and dancers. I was 10 and it was my first Nutcracker. I learned that theatre magic was real and I wanted to be a part of it the rest of my life. I am so honored to be a part of a great Missoula tradition bringing magic to all who view it. Thank you GCB. You are changing lives.
I want to express my sincerest gratitude to Garden City Ballet for providing such an incredible dance experience for my daughter and our family. The sense of community GCB provides to all of its young dancers is unsurpassed. I am truly thankful for the time all of the professionals and volunteers dedicate to our children. The lessons learned and friendships made will last a lifetime.
Attending The Nutcracker is one of our favorite holiday traditions, and we have been taking our kids every year. I’m so happy they love it so much, as it is one of my own memorable holiday activities from when I was young. Thank you for keeping our local Nutcracker vibrant, and for all you do for the arts in Missoula!