Every year, the Christmas season is notoriously filled with annual traditions such as baking cookies, ice-skating, or just watching a Christmas movie marathon with one’s family snuggled up by a warm fire. The people of Huntingdon County may have a different perspective on their yearly traditions but one tradition we have in Huntingdon County is something very special. For years, the Huntingdon Regional Ballet has put on the production of the Nutcracker to not only fuel the Christmas spirit this time of year, but also to educate the public on dance culture. The almost two-hour production follows Clara Stahlbaum as she receives her very own Nutcracker, which brings the magic to life as she travels all the way to the Land of the Sweets in this dream-like fantasy. This is such a staple in our small town during the holiday season as each year the Halbritter Center at Juniata fills up in this wintry month to be graced with the comforting essence that this production brings most during the holiday season. Huntingdon Regional Ballet is a youth-based organization, meaning most of the cast are students from all school districts around the county, but there are a handful of dedicated parents who donate their time to this amazing show each year. As most of the cast are children who attend Huntingdon Area School District, we are proud to note that there are a few students at Juniata Valley who represent our small school and fill us with pride. Miley Byler, Ava Wise, and the Fitzgerald sisters, Josalyn and Jordynn, have proudly participated in this production for years and continue to bring it to life each year!

Miley Byler, a senior this year at Juniata Valley, and performing the two roles of the Snow Queen and the Arabian Lead, has been training at the Huntingdon Dance Academy for fourteen years. This was her tenth and final season of the Nutcracker with them, which was most definitely a surreal feeling for her. When asked how she was feeling about it all coming to an end, she replied with, “It’s so bittersweet! I remember my very first Nutcracker audition, where I walked in at such a young age with a passion so deep for this sport. Every year after that, it became my tradition. August-December weekends were dedicated to perfecting my roles and spending time with my friends at the studio. Now it has all come to an end. No more Saturday rehearsals, no more auditions in the middle of the heat wave in August, and most importantly, no more multiple-hour-long “playdates” with all of my best friends at the studio. I’m sad to let go of this chapter of my life, but I can not wait to come back next year as an alumnus and get to watch all of my friends put on the best show for me!”

Ava Wise, a current sophomore at Juniata Valley, and performing the two roles of the Spanish Lead and a Snow Princess, has spent thirteen of years dedicating time to the Huntingdon Dance Academy. Nutcracker to her means “being able to work hard and dedicate her time and effort to perfecting a piece to eventually show off to the community.” As Byler mentioned, Wise enjoys being able to “have fun with my friends and work as a team to show off all of our dedication. I have been doing it since I was young, and created great memories and friends while doing something I have a passion for, performing.” Wise, along with many of the dancers in the area, reported that she appreciates how “Nutcracker brings the community together by showing a different type of sport and level of artistry.”

Our last two dancers who attend school in the Valley are from elementary school. The Fitzgerald sisters, Josalyn and Jordynn, are some of the youngest at Huntingdon Dance Academy, but have a love so strong for it that anyone who watches them can see it. Josalyn, a second grader, and the role of a Polichinelle and an Angel has been dancing for 6 years, and her younger sister Jordynn, a kindergartner, has been performing the role of a Mouse and a Reindeer, and is currently in her second year of dance. When Jordynn was asked why she does the Nutcracker, she excitedly responded with “I enjoy being with all of my dance friends and learning all of the different roles in the Nutcracker!” As for her older sister, Josalyn exclaimed that she “loves to perform on stage and learn new roles each year!” This year, Josalyn had an experience that not many dancers can say they have. She got to have one of the shows on her very own birthday. When asked how it felt to share her special day doing something she loves, she said, “I loved getting presents from my dance friends, and being able to perform for the crowd that was there!”

Citizens from the community and county are so lucky to have something so special and unique in a small corner of their town. Shows like the Nutcracker and other productions by the Huntingdon Dance Academy bring culture and athletic diversity to a place that may not always recognize them. One of Juniata Valley´s teachers, Maylin Musser, is a regular attendee to this show, and when asked why she comes to it every year, she replied with, ¨it is sentimental. Growing up, we always went to the Nutcracker. My sister was extremely involved in dance, which, of course, meant the entire family was. We went to watch her perform from when she was a young dancer through the time she held lead roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy. I guess the Nutcracker has always been part of Christmas to me. Since she passed away many years ago, I take my parents every year in remembrance of her.¨ She also added that , “as a school teacher, I love to go and watch my students do something that they love outside of school! We have some very talented young people, and I love to watch them perform.” Many of the dancers appreciate being seen for their hard work, as much as many community members enjoy being able to sit back and be graced with something as beautiful as the art of dance.