News at St. Catherine's
Nutcracker Stage Filled with St. Catherine's Girls
Twenty students are performing in the Richmond Ballet production of the Nutcracker, which opens tonight.
When Caroline Irwin was just 4 years old, she would repeatedly watch the Nutcracker on DVD. She would stand on her couch and pretend she was Clara.
When the Richmond Ballet production of the Nutcracker opens this weekend at the Carpenter Center, Irwin’s dream will be fulfilled.
The St. Catherine’s sixth grader is one of two girls cast in the role of Clara. The Nutcracker is the story of Clara, who dreams of a Nutcracker prince. Her dream unfolds into an elaborate story. The Nutcracker cast is divided into the Red Cast and Green Cast, dividing the performances. Irwin is part of the Green Cast. Irwin will make her debut as Clara beginning with the 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, Dec. 17.
“To me it means a lot to be Clara. It is something I have aspired to be for as long as I can remember,” Irwin said.
The stage will actually be filled with St. Catherine’s students as 20 of them will be performing during the course of the production. Two additional girls were part of the promotional cast.
“We are always so pleased to have so many St. Catherine’s students attending the School of Richmond Ballet each year and enjoy that so many of those ladies choose to make our production of The Nutcracker part of their holiday traditions,” said Judy Jacob, the School of Richmond Ballet Director.
Participating in the production takes a look of rehearsal. For Irwin, the rehearsals began back in October with weekends. In the days leading up to this weekend’s opening, the demands increased to 2-3 hours per weeknight and six hours on weekends.
But the practice is necessary for one of the long-honored holiday traditions. The dancing involves more than just the physical movement – especially in Irwin’s role as Clara.
“For me at least, the hardest part about being Clara is trying to concentrate hard and do the steps on correct timing while facially showing whatever emotion is necessary,” Irwin said. “It is hard for me sometimes when I'm dancing, not to look like I'm thinking really hard and counting in my head.”
Irwin and the Green cast will perform on the following dates:
Green cast members from St. Catherine's:
Caroline Irwin, Clara
Grace Locke, teal girl
Emily McDermott, military girl
Ella Spruill, purple girl
Reilly Spitzer, little mouse
Rachel Young, cavalry soldier
Sunny Miller, angel
Kyndall Diamond, angel
Ann Tarry, angel
Isabelle King, lamb
Anna Chapman, lamb
Mary Pace Lewis, Chinese attendant
Maggie Young, blue boy
Red cast members from St. Catherine's:
Caitlin Biggs, green girl
Isabelle Gaenzle, military girl
Lily Blankenship, angel
Kathryn Woodward, lamb
Elizabeth Woodward, lamb
Elizabeth Craig, teal girl
Elizabeth Oelkers, teal boy
Back
When the Richmond Ballet production of the Nutcracker opens this weekend at the Carpenter Center, Irwin’s dream will be fulfilled.
The St. Catherine’s sixth grader is one of two girls cast in the role of Clara. The Nutcracker is the story of Clara, who dreams of a Nutcracker prince. Her dream unfolds into an elaborate story. The Nutcracker cast is divided into the Red Cast and Green Cast, dividing the performances. Irwin is part of the Green Cast. Irwin will make her debut as Clara beginning with the 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, Dec. 17.
“To me it means a lot to be Clara. It is something I have aspired to be for as long as I can remember,” Irwin said.
The stage will actually be filled with St. Catherine’s students as 20 of them will be performing during the course of the production. Two additional girls were part of the promotional cast.
“We are always so pleased to have so many St. Catherine’s students attending the School of Richmond Ballet each year and enjoy that so many of those ladies choose to make our production of The Nutcracker part of their holiday traditions,” said Judy Jacob, the School of Richmond Ballet Director.
Participating in the production takes a look of rehearsal. For Irwin, the rehearsals began back in October with weekends. In the days leading up to this weekend’s opening, the demands increased to 2-3 hours per weeknight and six hours on weekends.
But the practice is necessary for one of the long-honored holiday traditions. The dancing involves more than just the physical movement – especially in Irwin’s role as Clara.
“For me at least, the hardest part about being Clara is trying to concentrate hard and do the steps on correct timing while facially showing whatever emotion is necessary,” Irwin said. “It is hard for me sometimes when I'm dancing, not to look like I'm thinking really hard and counting in my head.”
Irwin and the Green cast will perform on the following dates:
- Saturday, Dec. 17, 2 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 18, 1 p.m.
- Wednesday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 22, 7 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 23, 7 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 26, 7 p.m.
Green cast members from St. Catherine's:
Caroline Irwin, Clara
Grace Locke, teal girl
Emily McDermott, military girl
Ella Spruill, purple girl
Reilly Spitzer, little mouse
Rachel Young, cavalry soldier
Sunny Miller, angel
Kyndall Diamond, angel
Ann Tarry, angel
Isabelle King, lamb
Anna Chapman, lamb
Mary Pace Lewis, Chinese attendant
Maggie Young, blue boy
Red cast members from St. Catherine's:
Caitlin Biggs, green girl
Isabelle Gaenzle, military girl
Lily Blankenship, angel
Kathryn Woodward, lamb
Elizabeth Woodward, lamb
Elizabeth Craig, teal girl
Elizabeth Oelkers, teal boy
Located in the heart of Richmond, Virginia, St. Catherine’s School is a private, all-girls pre-K, kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school. We provide a well-rounded educational experience for girls from communities across Richmond, Chesterfield, Henrico and all of central Virginia. St.Catherine’s all-girls educational experience is rooted in more than a century of history and tradition. From our revolutionary past to our dynamic present, St. Catherine’s has always focused on preparing students for a boundless future.
