BOTHELL ?Accompanied by a 36-piece orchestra, Ballet Bellevue scores the other new theater in the neighborhood, presenting Nutcracker Nov. 25 – 26 and Dec. 2 – 3 at the Northshore Performing Arts Center at Bothell High School.?
?BBs Artistic director Viktoria Titova, dancerd with Moscows Bolshoi Ballet Grigorovich Company before she came to Seattle from Russia in 1998. She started dancing for Ballet Bellevue under the direction of the companys founding director, Ronn Tice. When he left, she stepped up.
Titova is especially enthused about presenting the purity of classical performances with the worlds best guest artists, while giving many new opportunities for dancers trained in the Northwest to perform here in our own community.?
Nutcracker is the perfect tool for her mission. Titova dances the princess, and the production features a Clara that will melt your heart when the fantastic dream of a Victorian Christmas comes to life in Bothell.
Phillip Tschopp conducts the live orchestra

About the Nutcracker:?
The Silberhaus family is preparing for the arrival of their guests on this festive Christmas Eve. In the center of the great hall stands a majestic Christmas tree. Clara and her brother, Fritz, are admiring the beautiful sight as they wait for their cousins and friends, the good things to eat, and the opening of gifts. When the guests finally appear, the party picks up with dancing and celebration. A mysterious guest who is dressed in dark clothing bursts in late, nearly frightening the children, but not Clara. She knows that this is her godfather, Herr Drosselmeier, the toy maker.?He has brought the children fantastic life-size dolls: a Harlequin, a Columbine and a Moor.
The children are delighted with the dolls, but Herr Drosselmeier fears for the safety of these expensive gifts and he takes them away to be stored in the special cabinet with the great collection of magical toys from years past. The arrival of a magnificent cake distracts the children, who have been looking forward to this part of the party.
Herr Drosselmeier then presents a most special gift he has brought for his goddaughter a Nutcracker Doll.
Fritz, becoming jealous, snatches the Nutcracker Doll from Clara, and it isnt long before the new doll is broken. ?
Its enough to make anyone have nightmares, and Clara had a doosie.
Oleg Gorboulev, former soloist with Pacific Northwest Ballet and professionally with the Moscow Classical Ballet, will perform as the Prince for the Thanksgiving weekend shows, and Evgeny Lushkin, former Principal Dancer with the St. Petersburg Ballet in St. Petersburg, Russia, will dance the Prince for the Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 performances.
Conductor Philip Tschopp is known throughout the Northwest as a champion of new music, collaborator with Northwest composers, and conductor of regional instrumental and choral ensembles.
As artistic director/conductor of Bellevues Cascadian Chorale since 1993, Mr. Tschopp has commissioned and premiered over 25 new works by the likes of Bern Herbolsheimer, Troy Peters, and David White.?
In the instrumental realm, Mr. Tschopp served as conductor of Ballet Bellevues Fairy Queen (2002) and Sleeping Beauty (2006), and has recently been appointed Ballet Bellevues resident conductor.? He is the recipient of the Morrison Fellowship at the University of Washington.
?The newly completed Northshore Performing Arts Center is located on the Bothell High School campus at 18125 92nd Ave. NE in Bothell. For more information, see www.npacf.org.