The dance school Forever Dancing put on a special performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s classic Christmas ballet “The Nutcracker” on Sunday, Dec. 7, at St. Francis Preparatory School, located at 61-00 Francis Lewis Blvd. in Fresh Meadows.
This marked the fourth annual performance of The Nutcracker by Forever Dancing. The event is intended to celebrate the holiday season and to honor the founder of Forever Dancing, Robert Mann.
The ballet also featured a special guest performance by 20 kids from Dancing Dreams, a nonprofit dedicated to providing kids with special needs the opportunity to take part in inclusive dance programs, as well as kids from the Bergin Academy of Irish Dance.
“We’ve welcomed Dancing Dreams and Bergin Dance Academy to enjoy the holiday experience, and it’s such an honor to have them here with us,” Forever Dancing Owner and Director Marianne Marian said. “We’re so honored to be here and have everybody here with us to kick off the holiday season.”
Dancing Dreams had 20 high school students volunteering to help the 20 kids perform in the “Waltz of the Snowflakes.” This marked the second year of the nonprofit’s involvement in the show, building upon its success from the previous year.
“Last year, [Marianne] invited us to do part of the snow variation, and it went so well that this year they gave us all of the snow variation,” Dancing Dreams Founder and Executive Director Joann Ferrara said. “It’s really wonderful that Marianne is so inclusive of our children and our dancers, and our dancers are super excited.”
In addition to the ballet performances, the event also gave guests the opportunity to meet and get their pictures taken with Santa Claus.
Hot cocoa and cookies were available to attendees of the event, along with gifts and souvenirs.
