Young dancers will take part in Great Russian Nutcracker'

More than 60 young dancers from Yuma and Imperial counties have been selected to perform in Monday's production of the Moscow Ballet's "Great Russian Nutcracker" at the Southwest Performing Arts Theatre in El Centro.

Cindy Turrentine is rehearsing with the dancers each week as part of the "Celebrating Children ... The Arts Can Make a Difference," a program by her studio, Dancemakers, in Yuma.

In late September, Boris Baskakov, Moscow Ballet soloist, selected the dancers for the opportunity to perform with the professional Russian troupe during its performance in El Centro as part of its 70-city U.S. tour taking place this month and December.

The area youths taking part in the El Centro performance come from Yuma, Wellton, Somerton and the Imperial Valley.

Although tryouts and rehearsals for the young students have required miles of traveling and hours of training, "This is an incredible experience for them," said Cynthia Haney, dance teacher. She has been bringing 13 to 15 dancers (who are ages 7 to 13) to Yuma from California since the auditions in late September and weekly rehearsals for Monday's performance of the "Great Russian Nutcracker."

"We have been welcomed and made comfortable, which is great for the dancers," Haney said. "They're excited."

Dancing as one of the little sisters to the Chinese Princess role in the "Nutcracker" is an exciting adventure for Shaelee Thompson, 8, of Wellton. "She's been taking ballet lessons from Cindy since she was just three, and this is the first year she has been old enough to try out for such a role in the 'Nutcracker.' She's really excited to be dancing with the famous people - professionals," said the her mother, Shana Thompson.

Also participating are Karla Morales, 14, a freshman at Yuma High School, and her 9-year-old sister Kayla.

Karla has been "dancing forever ... well, since she was 5," her mother, Dora Morales, said. "She's been in the 'Nutcracker' before, but never like this."

Karla added: "This will be a privilege - to dance on the same stage as Mr. Baskakov. He was awesome when we auditioned, and I'm looking forward to being with such professionals."

Karla said she enjoys dancing, and is taking modern dance classes at high school.

Will dancing be a career for her? "It's fun and good exercise, but I want to become a surgeon," she said.

Kayla, a fourth-grader at Suverkrup School, has been dancing for three years and says she's really excited about the El Centro performance. "I'm a dancer in the Spanish court," she said. "And I just like to dance and sing. That's what I want to do when I grow up."

Nicki Dahl, 12, and her 9-year-old sister Katie, daughters of Kevin and Roxanne Dahl of Yuma, will likewise be on stage for the special "Nutcracker."

"I'm looking forward to being able to meet and talk with these professional dancers, especially since they are from another country," Nicki said.

The seventh-grader at Centennial Middle School said she had been in a Yuma "Nutcracker," but this one will be more exciting because of the participation of professionals from Russia. She'll be in the guest crowd scene and an additional harlequin number.

Nicki wants to keep dancing after the "Nutcracker" performance. "It's fun and I'd like to become a professional dancer."

Katie is excited to be an angel in the production. "It will be educational and different, because some of the dance moves are called by a different name, and the language is different," the Valley Horizon School student said.

Pam Smith can be reached at psmith@yumasun.com or 539-6856.