For South Jersey this December, the vision of sugarplums, toys coming to life and dancing mice will become a reality.
At Voorhees Middle School, children from ages 5 to 17 will be performing in the South Jersey Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker.” One of those dancers is Elizabeth Safaryn of Moorestown.
A love of dance was born after seeing the ballet “Giselle” as a young girl. Safaryn began taking classes with the South Jersey Ballet Theatre when she was 5 years old.
Ten years later, the passion for dance has not waned.
“It’s a great experience. The performances are amazing, the parents are really helpful, and I’ve made so many friends there,” Safaryn said.
South Jersey Ballet Theatre presents “The Nutcracker” each year, which allows participants to take on different roles.
This year, Safaryn will play Clara.
“It’s really fun doing different parts each year. I’ve been in the snow flowers, the sugarplum scene, and I was in the Spanish which was really fun,” Safaryn said. “I’ve done every role except the mice, which are usually for 3- and 4-year-old kids.”
Many of Safaryn’s days are spent dancing as she also studies modern and jazz dance. Preparation began for “The Nutcracker” in August with five and a half-hour rehearsals happening on Saturdays and Sundays. The week before the show, the company has dance and tech rehearsals on Wednesday and Thursday with the performances being on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 19 through 21.
The days are long but Safaryn says if kids have the desire to dance, they should do it.
“The first step is coming to see a show and seeing what we do and the hard work that goes into it. It helps you understand. But if you want to start dancing, you really need to have a passion for it,” Safaryn said.
Though she only has a couple years remaining in the South Jersey Ballet Theatre, Safaryn won’t stop performing once she’s moved on.
“It’ll be something I will always do on the side as I get older. It will be fun to continue to dance. I will always do it as a hobby,” Safaryn said.
If you go:
What: South Jersey Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker”
Where: Voorhees Middle School
When: Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.; and Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m
How: For ticket information please visit www.southjerseyballet.com or call SJBT’s box office at (856) 309–8282.
