As the holiday season approaches, the community prepares to watch several of the performances that Grand Rapids has to offer. Whether you’re going to watch “The Nutcracker” at Devos Performance Hall or going to watch the elementary kids sing the snowpants song at Lakeside Elementary, watching these performances is a great way to embrace the holiday spirit and EGR’s traditions.
Several students at East are participants in these shows. These dancers and singers work tirelessly to create magical performances that allow their audiences to truly feel the holiday spirit.
Claire Mulderink ‘28, Sam Storms ‘28, and Amelia Mulderink ‘26 are all some of the many dancers in these holiday productions.
At Grand Rapids Ballet Co., Claire and Storms have been preparing for the production of the famous “Nutcracker”.
Claire will dance as a sugar plum, a reindeer, and a toy marionette. Storms will dance as a Harlequin, Clara’s friend, a Chinese dragon, and a rifle soldier.
Before the production of “The Nutcracker” commences, Amelia and Claire performed in “Twas” over Thanksgiving break. Even though “Twas” is less popular than “The Nutcracker”, “Twas” offers similar entertainment.
Although the dancers will play different roles in these performances, they always go out of their way to encourage each other and make the long rehearsal hours fly by.
“What keeps me going the most is the people who dance at my studio; the group of friends we have created is just amazing,” Claire says. Their studio’s bond is like no other-especially during their busiest season.
Their studios understand the importance of the winter ballet productions and the impact they make on the community, and because of this, the ballerinas start preparing months before, for 4-8 hours a day, six days a week.
These practices, rehearsals, and shows are demanding, but the dancers believe that connecting with their audience and each other makes it all worth it.
“We always go above and beyond to have our audience feel connected to the winter spirit and moved by our dedication.” Storms ‘28 says.
Based on the time and effort these dancers have put into this production, it is clear they are very committed and hardworking. Although practices and performances can be exhausting, the dancers persevere, knowing the impact they are making and the support they have from their peers.
These performances are gateways to indulging the holiday season not only for the audience but for the dancers, “performing in these shows has been a holiday tradition for years. Without them, Christmas wouldn’t feel the same,” Amelia ‘26 says.
