Cast Includes Community Youth and Students from School of Nashville Ballet
Photo by Karyn Photography
Nashville Ballet has announced the Youth Cast for its beloved holiday classic, Paul Vasterling’s Nashville’s Nutcracker, returning to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center’s Jackson Hall opening Friday, December 6 through Thursday, December 26.
Audiences are in for a special treat as the exquisite production will not only include Nashville Ballet company dancers, but also a large youth cast composed of local children and students from School of Nashville Ballet. Local youth include Kambria Ayers, Cora Jane Schrader, and Gigi Wingo who will dance the role of Clara. Coen Schrader and Carter Lashbrook-Wright will dance the role of Fritz. Over 166 local youth will perform a variety of roles such as party kids, teddy bear cavalry, and more (see youth cast below).
Paul Vasterling’s Nashville's Nutcracker takes audiences on an unforgettable celebration dance, unique storytelling, and music performed by The Nashville Symphony, that embodies all the magic of the holiday. The timeless classic, originally choreographed by Artistic Director Emeritus Paul Vasterling, weaves some of Nashville’s rich history, sites, and events throughout the lavish holiday production. Set against the backdrop of the vibrant city, this performance invites audiences of all ages to revel in the splendor of the Sugar Plum Fairy's kingdom, the fierceness of the Mouse King, and the timeless adventure of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince. Winner of a 2020 Emmy Award-winning film, and named the best Dance Production of 2022 by Broadway World Nashville, this is Nashville’s must-see holiday tradition for the entire family.
“It’s such an honor to bring one of Nashville’s most cherished productions to audiences once again this holiday season,” said Nashville Ballet’s Artistic Director and CEO Nick Mullikin. “This beautiful performance will merge our talented company dancers with local youth and students from School of Nashville Ballet to dazzle audiences this Christmas. Being part of the youth cast, for Tennessee’s largest ballet company, is an extraordinary opportunity. It gives these students an unparalleled opportunity to dance on a big stage and see what their careers could look like as part of a professional production. It’s one of our favorite productions of the year and we couldn’t do it without them. It’s truly a magical event for all of us.”
Attendees will experience the joy and wonder of this classic tale reimagined, that captures the heart and spirit of Nashville. Be a holiday hero and get your tickets now as it’s expected to sell out. Single tickets start at just $53.
For more information on Nashville’s Nutcracker or to purchase tickets, please visit nashvilleballet.com/nashvilles-nutcracker.
Ranging from ages 7 to 17, this year’s youth cast includes:
Cannon County
Nicholas Parnell, Party Boy
Cheatham County
Charlee Harrison, Baby Mouse
Samuel Lovell, Party Boy
Phoebe Richardson, Party Girl
Copely Russo, Garden Fairy
Kinley Shelton, Bon Bon
Davidson County
Harper Alvarez, Baby Mouse
Sophia Alvarez, Frontier Soldier
Olivia Armstrong, Baby Mouse
Irys Atkinson, Commodore Cavalry
Kambria Ayers, Clara
Cora Bivin, Garden Fairy
Adalyn Brown, Lamb
Madeleine Burkitt, Garden Fairy
Camille Carter, Party Girl
Evelyn Clark, Medium Mouse
Penelope Coleman, Medium Mouse
Naomi Cooper, Baby Mouse
Adri Cottingham, Bon Bon and Party Girl
Lucy Craddock, Frontier Soldier
Lacey Crenshaw, Commodore Cavalry
Matilda Crosswy, Lamb
Bowie Danoff, Party Boy
Lucinda Donnelly, Baby Mouse
Lillie Drake, Medium Mouse
Olivia Dunn, Bon Bon
Elizabeth Faucette, Garden Fairy
Zara Fetuga, Garden Fairy
Jonah Forsythe, Bon Bon
Selah Frohock, Party Girl
Adeline Gallmann, Commodore Cavalry
Myers Gibson, Garden Fairy
Adelyn Grant, Party Girl
Gracie Hambrick, Commodore Cavalry
Hadley Hancock, Bon Bon
Kemae Harris, Russian
Lily Harwell, Party Girl
Winnie Haugen, Russian
Abigail Hayden, Garden Fairy
Sarai Cadena Herrera, Teddy Bear Cavalry
Freya Heard, Bon Bon
Sophia Hill, Party Girl
Mary Walton Jarman, Garden Fairy
Quinn Johnson, Russian
Brynne Keller, Garden Fairy
Luke Kelly, Frontier Soldier
Briar King, Party Girl
Sashenka Kooienga, Bon Bon
Martha Kryshtal, Baby Mouse
Nora Kunkee, Bon Bon
Sam Leventis, Party Boy
Beatrice Lipscomb, Garden Fairy
Esther Livshitz, Frontier Soldier
Lily Lutz, Medium Mouse
Campbell Lyman, Lamb
Eloise MacEachern, Baby Mouse
Olive Mains, Commodore Cavalry
Emily Maiorino, Lamb
Tatum Mantinan, Commodore Cavalry
Tenley Mantinan, Commodore Cavalry
Cora Mashburn, Commodore Cavalry
Sasha Mayer, Garden Fairy
Mica Mays, Medium Mouse
Frances Melancon, Garden Fairy
Margaret Meyerson, Garden Fairy
Mae Michels, Commodore Cavalry
Townes Miller, Party Girl
Ari Moore, Medium Mouse
Lili Near, Bon Bon
Jordan Nixon, Garden Fairy
Leona Noel, Baby Mouse
Evelyn Noll, Lamb
Lillis Nye, Baby Mouse
Tula Nye, Teddy Bear Cavalry
Angel Ochoa, Bon Bon
Nerea Pardeshi, Lamb
Harper Perry, Medium Mouse
Lucy Prather, Commodore Cavalry
Lillian Pyatt, Bon Bon
D'Arcy Ramage, Lamb
Riley Reed, Lamb
Marabella Richards, Lamb
Nora Rieck, Party Girl
Charlotte Belle Schrader, Baby Mouse
Coen Schrader, Fritz
Cora Jane Schrader, Clara
Oliver Scrader, Party Boy
Maggie Sechrist, Lamb
Sophie Sekulow, Baby Mouse
Davidson County - continued
Anne Shuster, Lamb
Charlotte Spero, Garden Fairy
Wilder Jane Smith, Lamb
Isabella Sutton, Medium Mouse
Lily Targun, Russian
Hallie Thackston, Teddy Bear Cavalry
Blake Thibadeau, Garden Fairy
Rose Thibodeau, Lamb
Nora Tidwell, Commodore Cavalry
Penelope Trujillo, Baby Mouse
Addison Wade, Lamb
Emma Wade, Party Girl
Mackenzie Wade, Bon Bon
Julia Walsh, Medium Mouse
Leona Watrous, Baby Mouse
Shakia Webster, Frontier Soldier
Stori Weir, Russian
Livia Wernke, Russian
Ella Wescott, Teddy Bear Cavalry
Morgan Whiteley, Russian
Elizabeth Williams, Russian
Luciana Williams, Garden Fairy
Dickson County
Preston Gaines, Bon Bon
Remi Ross, Lambs
Zoe Wenck, Commodore Cavalry
Maury County
Greenlee Jenks, Commodore Cavalry
Montgomery County
Maddox Harding, Baby Mouse
Arya Horton, Commodore Cavalry
Bailey Horton, Party Girl
Prynn Itter, Garden Fairy
Putnam County
Mariah Wheeler, Russian
Robertson County
Norah Beutler, Russian
Penn Beutler, Party Boy
Lily Miller, Russian
Laine Sharp, Russian
Rutherford County
Mia DeFeo, Party Girl
Scarlett Drey, Commodore Cavalry
Samantha Everett, Bon Bon
Margaux Lieberman, Garden Fairy
Mikhail Lieberman, Bon Bon
Olivia Padgett, Baby Mouse
Raleigh Smith, Baby Mouse
Reagan Smith, Garden Fairy
Sumner County
Rylee Braden, Frontier Soldier
Lucy Cramer, Lamb
Eleanor Hatley, Frontier Soldier
Madeline Melissa Henry, Garden Fairy
Madison Herrington, Bon Bon
Harper Judd, Frontier Soldier
Beatrice McClellan, Commodore Cavalry
Anastasiya Parkhurst, Medium Mouse
Isabella Pedro, Russian
Isabella (Izzy) Platt, Russian
Penelope Sexton, Lamb
Ava Suttle, Frontier Soldier
Warren County
Carter Lashbrook-Wright, Fritz
Williamson County
Breen Bentzen, Teddy Bear Cavalry
Emerson Rose Duke, Medium Mouse
Laura Feinberg, Bon Bon
Jenna Gary, Commodore Cavalry
Vida Jackson, Garden Fairy
Courtney Kurkowski, Bon Bon
Charlotte Lynn, Lamb
Rosemary Martin, Baby Mouse
Declan Meeker, Party Girl
Kinley Meeker, Bon Bon
Adalyn Patel, Bon Bon
Emme Shervik, Medium Mouse
Madison Tate, Teddy Bear Cavalry
Indigo Thrash, Garden Fairy
Marielle Tyson, Garden Fairy
Jovanni Walker, Party Girl
Gigi Wingo, Clara
Wilson County
Macie McGinty, Russian
Emmeline Roehler, Baby Mouse