Local dancers to take spotlight on Dec. 4

Hackettstown - Two northern N.J. dancers will have their moment in the spotlight on Sunday, Dec. 4 --— one at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and one on the stage of the Mt. Olive Middle School Theater. Seventeen-year-old Erin Alarcon, a student at North Jersey School of Dance Arts and a senior at Hackettstown High School, will take the spotlight as the sparkling “Sugar Plum Fairy” in the N.J. Civic Youth Ballet’s sixth annual production of the holiday children’s classic, The Nutcracker. Alarcon steps into the role to replace guest soloist Elisabeth Holowchuk, who performs “Sugar Plum Fairy” at the two Saturday performances of Nutcracker. On Sunday, Holowchuk will be dancing on the stage of the Opera House at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Holowchuk, a member of the Suzanne Farrell Ballet, will join performing arts stars in a gala performance saluting the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors of 2005. Being honored this year are legendary ballerina and teacher Suzanne Farrell; actor, director and producer Robert Redford; singer Tony Bennett; actress Julie Harris; and singer Tina Turner. The performance, which will be attended by President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, will be recorded for broadcast later on the CBS network as a two-hour prime time special. Holowchuk has worked with the N.J. Civic Youth Ballet since 2000, as a performer, teacher and choreographer, and as a soloist guest artist with Configuration, the Dance Theatre of Wilmington and the Pennsylvania Youth Ballet. She is a guest teacher at the civic youth ballet as well. Alarcon has been a member of the civic youth ballet since its inception in 2000, and was the company’s first Clara. Since then, roles she has danced in Nutcracker include “Arabian,” “Spanish,” “Bats,” “Snow” and “Flowers.” At the Dec.3 performances, she will perform as the doll, “Columbine,” as well as in “Snow” and “Flowers.” The role of the Nutcracker Prince and Sugar Plum Fairy’s Cavalier will be performed by Andrei Jouravlev. Jouravlev studied at the Perm State Choreography Academy in Russia and was a principal dancer with the Perm State Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 1994, he joined the N.J. Ballet as principal dancer. He won both bronze and silver medals in international ballet competitions in Japan and Russia, and has danced with “Stars of American Ballet.” Also claiming the spotlight in this year’s Nutcracker are 11-year-old Jane Law, who will dance the coveted role of Clara, and 9-year-old Lisa Krainik, who will dance the role of Clara’s brother, Fritz. Both 9-year-olds reside in Long Valley, and have studied dance at New Jersey School of Dance Arts since age 4. The civic youth ballet is a non-profit dance company dedicated to offering young, talented dancers in N.J. an opportunity to perform classical and contemporary ballets in a professional company, and offers an environment of growth for artists of all levels. Dancers are selected for the company through open auditions, which occur at scheduled intervals during the year. The company is based at the N.J. School of Dance Arts in Hackettstown. Performances of the The Nutcracker will be held at the Mt. Olive Middle School Theater on Wolfe Rd. in Mt. Olive, at noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, and at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $18; $12 for seniors and children 12 and under. Reduced rates are available for groups of 20 or more. For information, call 908-850-0709 or visit on line at www.njsda.org.