The Nutcracker!

The Nutcracker ballet is a magical, festive, family treat about a Christmas gathering and a young girl's dream about her gift of a nutcracker transforming into a handsome young man. Her prince takes her on a journey to the Kingdom of Sweets, where they are welcomed by the Sugar Plum Fairy.

I am Lesley Bandy, the Artistic Director of Primarily Dance. I performed the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy for many years, and now I want youngsters here in Nelson/Tasman to experience the magic of Tchaikovsky's music and the spectacle of this wonderful ballet.

The new and exciting point of difference with this production is that it will be a true community and collaborative affair - involving dance students from Nelson and Top of the South onstage with professional dancers, performers from some of our diverse cultural communities adding their colour and flavour, costumes rented and fabricated in the area, and last but not least, local artists designing and fabricating the sets and props so necessary to the story and the magic of the whole ballet.