The Nutcracker, which features many students, takes place at Staples on Dec. 3 and 4. This year’s show is Westport’s Academy of Dances’ 41st production. It captures the happiness of the holiday season while captivating its audience with many different scenes and costumes. 

“This year, the show is back at Staples which means everyone should come and see it,” Shelby Weisman ’25 said. “It’s super entertaining for kids and adults and everyone who goes to Staples should come to support their classmates.” 

Year after year, the show dazzles adults and kids with a story that is loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story, “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” about a girl named Clara, who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.

“I’m playing the role of Clara this year,” Avery Michalowski ’26 said. “I’m really excited because I’ve been dreaming of playing the role of Clara ever since I started doing ‘The Nutcracker,’ and It feels so unreal that it’s finally going to happen.”

The production started rehearsals on Sept. 10 and even started warming up as early as Aug. 22. The show encapsulates the holiday spirit into dance and year after year, dancers participate with their friends. 

“Nutcracker season is so magical and fun, especially as a kid, being able to be in a show with a bunch of older girls is really special,” Michalowski said. “I remember how inspiring it was to watch them and look up to them when I was little.”

This year has a special meaning to some dancers because it is the first time after two shows that there are no COVID restrictions, such as masks and social distancing. 

“I think that this year’s Nutcracker is very important because it’s the first year in three years that we are back at Staples and without masks and social distancing,” Megan Healy ’25 said. 

The “Sugar Plum Fairy” in The Nutcracker is a ruler over the Land of Sweets. This year’s Sugar Plum shares her insights into how the show differs as a senior. 

“I’ve been in the Nutcracker for 11 years. Being a senior is so crazy and I can’t fathom that it’s going to be my last time ever in this show,” Caroline Motyl ’23 said. “I love my part and I’m so grateful that I get to dance with a professional and my best friends.”