Meet fairies, princes and more at Central West Ballet ‘Nutcracker’ after-parties

Visions of sugar plums danced – and chatted and smiled and posed for photos – through the Gallo Center for the Arts on Saturday afternoon.

Central West Ballet continues its tradition of hosting Sugar Plum Fairy Parties after its matinee productions of “The Nutcracker” this season. The Modesto dance company’s annual holiday shows bring hundreds out to celebrate in the wonder of the classic ballet about a nutcracker that springs to life on Christmas Eve.

As in years past, the company brings out its dancers in costume to mingle with audience members at the festive after-show events. The Sugar Plum Fairy Parties have been part of the company’s “Nutcracker” tradition since its inception in 1987 as the then-named Bravo! Repertory Dance Theatre. They are inspired by one of the fanciful show’s key characters, the Sugar Plum Fairy. Since 2007, the gatherings have continued at the Gallo Center, which brought the soirees out onto the stage.

This year’s festivities include all 26 of the company’s adult dancers, as well as Central West Ballet II cast members. Central West Artistic Director René Daveluy said they are meant to inspire the audience, and future dancers.

“The most important thing is to spur the imagination of the children up close. They see the dancers in character and makeup. It’s part of the magic,” Daveluy said.

Those in attendance included some of the 150 students from local studios currently in the show, such as 7-year-old Ilizabeth Duran-Soriano of Ceres. The second-grader came to the company’s first Sugar Plum Fairy Party to collect autographs and pose with the adult cast and older dancers. She will be part of the show next weekend as a “naughty cookie” in a party dance scene.

“I like ‘The Nutcracker’ because when everyone dances, it looks like they’re having so much fun,” she said.

Some of the dancers in the meet-and-greet remember attending the parties when they were younger. Teenage dancers Catherine Charles and Julia Delamare of Central West Ballet II were in costume as Sugar Plum Fairy attendants and signed programs for young onlookers.

“I think going to this is the reason I started dancing,” said Charles, who was in her 10th production of the holiday ballet with Central West.

Parents such as Alicia and Matt Lopez of Manteca brought their 2-year-old daughter, Reese, to the after-party. She started ballet classes this year, and Alicia Lopez said she hopes her daughter continues and follows in her dance steps. She took part in performances of “The Nutcracker” with her Modesto dance studio when she was younger as well.

“I couldn’t wait until she was old enough to come see the show,” Alicia Lopez said.

This story was originally published December 10, 2016 at 6:01 PM with the headline "Meet fairies, princes and more at Central West Ballet ‘Nutcracker’ after-parties."