Dance

by Jim Becker
Dec. 29, 2025

It’s Christmas in Cleveland, which means the city becomes a buffet of family-friendly culture: handbells, hymnals, and tree-lightings. For theatergoers this time of year it also begs a question: what do we see on stage as traditional? Do we really need another tired and performatively ‘woke’ production of A Christmas Story in its hometown? Or should we visit the Land of the Sweets?

If you’re a dance fan, this also is the season of choices. Multiple Nutcrackers. Multiple budgets. Multiple interpretations of the ‘snow.’ This year I decided to do it up right: I took my sister and my niece to North Pointe Ballet (NPB)’s production of The Nutcracker. We saw the Sunday Dec. 21st matinee show at Berea- Midpark High School’s new, gleaming, state-of-the-art auditorium - a building glowing with the confidence of being funded by a town who believe in the arts and HVAC.

In years past, my family’s dance tradition has been Cleveland Ballet’s production, but this year a blizzard was the star of the show the night I had tickets. Here’s the twist, after seeing NPB’s The Nutcracker, I didn’t leave feeling like I’d “settled.” I left thinking, “Oh, this Nutcracker makes a family tradition feel brand new. Between the elite-level dancing, strong community cast, and overall cohesion of the production, it’s unlikely I’ll skip this opportunity in seasons’ future.

First, credit where it’s wildly due: NPB’s Founder and Executive Artistic Director, Janet Dziak, has clearly built something with a new and diverse heartbeat understanding story the way modern ballets often claim to, but Dziak and NPB actually deliver.

Throughout the show, Dziak’s choreography found fresh ways to tell the tale, especially from the top of the curtain up. Dziak’s party scene - and episode that, in lesser hands, can feel like a required errand before the real magic starts - is told with attention to detail and in appreciation of the plot points the story must convey. We’re so often greeted with the obvious: Clara gets a gift, Fritz acts like a menace of a little brother, Uncle Drosselmeyer flutters on and performs a little magic, while the the audience pretends we’re not just waiting for the battle scene. Contrarily, in NPB’s production, the party scene was an entertaining joy to witness and nuanced in all the right ways. These performers knew when to step forward to draw focus, and when to do what I describe as “moving underwater.” Pacing of this scene was a constant celebration with the staging always expertly telling the audience where to look. Not just “busy” staging - this scene was textual with social detail and intention. This wasn’t an accident, it was choreographic intelligence.

With choreographic talent like this in Cleveland, ballet spectators could justifiably speculate: why did former Artistic Director at Cleveland Ballet, Guadalupe, feel the need to (allegedly) steal the dance steps from her predecessor Dennis Nahat?

As the show moved forward, both Act I and Act II continued to offer staging of steps that was musically appropriate and genuinely riveting. Were there moments where these semi-professional dancers didn’t present the ultra-polished, million-dollar sheen of a union company like Joffrey or the imperial confidence of American Ballet Theatre? Sure. If you came to specifically conduct a forensic investigation of fifth positions, you might spot a missed placement here or a wobble of softening pointework there.

Here’s where NPB excelled, though - it didn’t matter it wasn’t at the level of larger companies in grander cities. NPB’s Nutcracker was calibrated to show what matters most in a community-led company: commitment, clarity, and passion. Dziak gives her dancers material that emphasizes their strengths, showcases their musicality, and lets the audience connect on an emotional level. Instead of watching ankles and toes, the audience is invited to see the full work which meant watching faces, intentions, and relationships.

North Pointe Ballet’s company reminds us we don’t always need dancers dedicating six rehearsal days each week from 10 to 6. We need vision and story-telling that respects its audience - and this is what NPB’s Nutcracker delivers. This show wasn’t just ‘nice,’ it was alive.

Technical Production Manager Eric Stapelberg and Set Designers Rob Foraker, Dean Cinnquemani, and Brian Dahm, with lighting design by Gary Holsopple and Scenic Designer Elizabeth Genco, brought the stage and world to life. Because, let me tell you: I’ve seen larger-scale productions with bigger budgets in fancier venues where the tree simply doesn’t grow. Not here.

In this Nutcracker, the tree grew. Gloriously. And not as a clunky ‘ta-da’ moment, but as part of Drosselmeyer’s larger spell. It appeared as though force-perspective greeted the bottom branches, lights, and ornaments of the tree - appearing larger and up-scaled to reinforce what Clara’s seeing.

Are a ‘growing tree’ and ‘snow’ essential to tell the story? No. But when they happen, and happen well, they add the extra layer of wonder that puts the audience at the front edge of their seats. These technical elements don’t replace artistry, they add to it. It was refreshing and exciting to see these elements work so well in NPB’s production.

Even better, and before the dancers arrived onstage as Little Mice, tiny radio-operated rodents raced on the stage. This added to the audience’s impression that magic happens. It also gives us a certain perspective from Clara’s point of view from falling asleep in the parlor with small mice to her magical transformation meeting mice her size.

In case you’re a spectator unaware: the original Nutcracker story isn’t that of ‘holiday vibes,’ it’s more like a German fairytale Christmas Eve fever dream. In Ernst Theodore Amadeus Hoffman’s original 1816 novella, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, the character Marie doesn’t literally shrink to mouse size, but her parlor comes to life with magical elements. In a modern entertainment world of superheroes and shrink rays, I commend the artistic team for giving us such a transformative interpretation.

If you’ve seen The Nutcracker more than once, you already know this almost universal fact: the ballet is almost always tethered to a school. It’s the great ecosystem annual tradition. Oftentimes a Holiday cash-cow, yes, but also a training pipeline to performance work. For example: School of American Ballet feeds directly into New York City Ballet, and those students become the mice, the soldiers, the party guests - then they climb the ladder year by year. First you’re a Mouse, then a Bon Bon, eventually graduating to Flowers and Snow. Personally, I find this one of the joys of seeing young dancers in The Nutcracker: audiences witness the evolution of technique year after year in new roles.

I hope it can be genuinely appreciated that North Pointe Ballet credits the many local studios and schools supplying dancers for the production - your Dolly Dinkles near and nearer. It’s a classy touch honoring the show for being a shared civic responsibility.

Another added treat was how the Mouse King’s death was handled. It was staged with theatrical savvy: clear, readable stage combat, but also a palpable sense for the students’ experience - physically and emotionally. The cherry on top was seeing a few Little Mice appear from stage left while crying and waving goodbye with little handkerchiefs. I mean... come on. That’s exactly the kind of kid-friendly theatrical joke that lands for everyone. It was funny and cute plus added a layer of depth without becoming grim.

In Act II we saw a credible callback scene: we got to see the young performers retell the battle story as part of the Land of the Sweets sequence - explaining to the Sugar Plumb Fairy and her court what went down with the battle before intermission. What an astounding example of good dramaturgy in ballet. Credit to Nina Fisher, from the Mad Factory, who is mentioned as the production’s Drama Coach.

At no point, in this Nutcracker, did I find myself thinking “Oof, those kids needed more rehearsal,” or “why aren’t they pointing their feet?” If any of that was technically happening, I truly didn’t see it. The performers were totally committed to their characters, timing, and storytelling that the audience’s eye stayed in the moment, rather than focusing on movement mechanics and technical elements. From the youngest dancers to the oldest adults, we saw a cast fully engaged and enveloped in the plot.

North Pointe Ballet’s The Nutcracker is possibly the most progressive production of the ballet in Northeast Ohio. The cast was genuinely varied: diverse in ability, ethnicity, age, and overall performance experience. In spite of [most] not being professional ballet dancers, the storytelling stayed consistently elevated with a seriousness in the dedication to the craft that never felt ‘community-theatre cute.’

An addition that my entire party appreciated was the framing device of a narrator and his children introducing the story of The Nutcracker alongside American Sign Language interpreter Colleen Ticherich. The actor portraying the father, James Weir, did a terrific job warming up the room inviting the audience into what we were about to see. The actors playing the children, Ray Pina and Rylee Barry, provided a grounded look into a family spending time together decorating their tree. It was like being welcomed into a modern living room before the ballet carried us to the Land of the Sweets.

It was clear this production is for all: families, kids, caregivers, people enjoying a weekend afternoon with their relatives. This scene gently reminded us we can all enjoy ballet including a small line about dance not being “just for girls.”

Young dancer and actor Ben DePauld was a fun Fritz in the opening number, but it was delightful to see the young performer on stage with Mother Ginger as a Bon Bon. NPB gives its young future male dance professionals the opportunity to be actually integrated into the corps de ballet, rather than doing what so many local dance studios do by shoving ‘the boy’ into the spotlight and staging the number around him. It was refreshing to see equity on the stage.

Instead of staging a ‘Russian’ divertissement as a nationally-based show piece, the dancers were reframed as Gum Drops (sometimes referred to by the classical dance performed; the Trepak). The Gum Drop Principles are listed as Michael Hearne and Craig Sams III. I cannot speak highly enough about what these men gave the Berea audience.

In Janet Dziak’s production, the choreography refused to treat a seated dancer as an exception. The Gum Drop’s musicality and vocabulary remains virtuosic -  spins, lifts, intricate precision with its movement - only now the audience was gifted to see, in real time, jumping and flying performed by a duo of men; one seated one standing. Dziak’s staging didn’t isolate or soften the partnering; it created balance, symmetry, and electricity - stage right / left looked like a duet in perfect unison and harmony. It seemed like an awe inspiring moment for the entire house.

Here’s why this matters locally: Cleveland audiences may be more accustomed to seeing physically integrated dance - Dancing Wheels has been doing that work for decades under the direction of Mary Verdi-Fletcher, but Berea doesn’t get that kind of exposure as often. So for a Berea matinee crowd seeing a seated dancer jumping and dancing on stage didn’t just feel like progress, it felt like what holiday traditions should do: make rooms bigger, not smaller.

Of course one of the most obvious highlights of the afternoon was the onstage poise and stamina performed by Elizabeth Kocianic and her devoted pas partner, Daniel Natal. If you want a snapshot of of what makes a production look ‘professional,’ even in a community-forward setting, it’s artists like these: dancers who don’t just execute steps, but carry the room.

Kocianic performed double duty as the believable matriarch of the party scene in Act I, with Jason Wang playing the attentive father (and a strong partner in his own right). Wang later brought grounded clarity and strength to the Snow scene opposite Laura Hankey, as Snow King and Snow Queen.

When Act II arrived, and Kocianic returned as the Sugar Plumb Fairy, with Natal as her Cavalier, the audience gets the full picture: technical prowess, athleticism, and a stillness of strength that made promenades look like they were floating. Daniel Natal and Kocianic’s pas de deux was en pointe - secured and centered, unhurried without wobbles or gravity bargaining. Natal, in particular, commanded the stage with masculine presence and technical authority. Natal is a dancer who understands partnering isn’t simply lifting and throwing; it’s framing the ballerina’s work for the audience to see.

Elizabeth Kocianic is clearly thoroughly trained. She gave us some of the cleanest footwork in the performance with her variation including what resembled a truly satisfying petit allegro passage. One note of criticism: it would have been nice to see Kocianic’s eyes more, as she has a tendency to look at the floor while dancing.

Another set of standout performers was Laura Hankey as a Chocolate dancer, and Jenni Hankey as the Dew Drop Fairy. Both performers dance with a certain sense of musical dynamics that made their respective performances an engaging pleasure to watch.

One gentle eyebrow-raise: I did notice all the men in the program are listed as guest artists rather than company members. Maybe there’s a practical explanation for this - could be seasonal contracts, maybe they dance for other companies, perhaps these men are professionals brought in for specific roles. I don’t know the backstory, as the program included no bios for the dancers.

The core company members consisted of Sarah Bachman, Kaitlyn Culp, Autumn Featheringill, Laura Hankey, Jenni Hankey, Elizabeth Kocianic, Kassandra Lee, and Laura Rubio. The guest artists were credited as Mason Alexander, Michael Hearne, Sabrina Lindhout, Alexandra Martinez, Daniel Natal, Craig Sams III, Jason Wang, and James Weir.

Ultimately, this wasn’t just an enjoyable community afternoon - it was a genuinely satisfying Nutcracker, especially considering what I paid for three tickets ($24 each with a $3 processing fee). North Pointe Ballet isn’t ‘cute for local.’ It’s a professional-level company on the rise in Northeast Ohio. If this region is smart, we will continue to watch, and attend, North Pointe’s ballets for years to come.

I’m looking forward to NPB’s spring production of Cinderella. Now that I’ve seen what this company is capable of, I want to see more. As a Berean, I speak with pride knowing one of Northeast Ohio’s stronger representations of a modern classical ballet company exists in our backyard - close enough to bring family, close enough to make it a tradition, close enough to support with consistency rather than ‘someday.’

Discovering North pointe Ballet doesn’t mean I’ll discontinue my support for larger companies, but it does mean NPB gets priority seating in my holiday plans moving forward. The dancers and production team didn’t just put on a show, they let an audience believe. Thank you for the magic.

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Jim Becker is certified by American Ballet Theatre’s National Training Curriculum and The Cecchetti Council of America, in addition to being a former ballet dancer and musical theatre performer having worked as a director and program manager with Disney Theatricals, Harlem School of the Arts, and Cleveland Ballet.