Studio K’s Nutcracker Thrills Audiences Thousands Brave Weather for Annual Spectacle By Jeff Eason Studio K director Cay Harkins calls performing in the annual holiday production of The Nutcracker, “our Christmas present to the audience.” For many of the participants, including myself, it is a Christmas present to ourselves just to take part in such a joyous, wonderful pageant. The Studio K production of The Nutcracker took place last weekend at Appalachian State’s Farthing Auditorium. Over a thousand audience members braved the inclement weather last weekend to take in the show. This year’s production of The Nutcracker featured over 100 local children, young adult ballet students, and assorted adults bringing Tchaikovsky’s timeless holiday classic to life. Joining the local dancers were four professionals who made this year’s production the best ever. Greg Pope took time away from his chores as Watauga High School’s drama, dance and theatre instructor to perform as the Snow King and ballet professionals Amy Hazlewood and Jose Rivera delivered amazing performances as the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier in last week’s show. Cirque du Soleil acrobat Enkhee Tumendelger Smith thrilled the Farthing Auditorium audience with a mind-bending contortionist display during the Arabian Dance and performed some nifty “foot juggling” in the Russian Dance. Studio K has annually produced the holiday classic The Nutcracker for the past decade. The studio also produces a spring show featuring many of the same young dancers. Two years ago the studio’s spring show was a ballet production of The Wizard of Oz and last year’s presentation was Snow White. Studio K will present a youth ballet version of Swan Lake this year during the first weekend in May. For more information on how to get your child started in ballet, call Studio K at (828) 265-4111.