by Liza Mata
Celebrate the holiday spirit with this festive, family-friendly ballet. Myrtle Beach’s Coastal Youth Ballet Theatre presents the magical holiday production of The Nutcracker for the 13th year, with performances on Dec. 8, 9, 15 and 16 at Coastal Carolina University’s Wheelwright Auditorium in Conway.
The Nutcracker ballet tells the story of young Clara who is given a magical nutcracker doll on Christmas Eve by her eccentric uncle and godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer. Adventure awaits as she and her transformed Nutcracker Prince battle the frightful Mouse King before embarking on a journey through the Land of the Snow.
With the help of the Snow Queen, Herr Drosselmeyer, Clara, and her Prince travel to the Land of the Sweets where they are entertained by the Sugar Plum Fairy, her Cavalier, and her Entourage of Sweets.
Bringing the charming Nutcracker story to life are Coastal Youth Ballet Theatre’s cast of sixty of the area’s most talented young dancers together with CYBT ballerina Kiely Elizabeth Clark as the Sugar Plum Fairy, and New York City guest artist Mikhail Ilyin as the Cavalier.
The Nutcracker is staged by CYBT professional artistic directors. Liza Mata and Karen Mata to the magnificent music of composer, Peter Tchaikovsky.