THE NUTCRACKER

West Point Ballet Presents

November 21-22, 2025

Acknowledgements

Production

Artistic Director: Juliana Vorkink Martin

Associate Director of Performances: Hannah Hurd

Music: Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra

Choreography: Staged by Juliana Vorkink Martin, Hannah Hurd, and West Point Ballet Faculty

Special thanks to...

*Our incredible faculty: Juliana Vorkink Martin, Hannah Hurd, Sharlee Peay, Lisa Vorkink, Madyson Wurtzbacher, Kalise Child, Faith Hortin, Megan Fuhriman, Addy Boll, Amber Miller, Mercedes Stout, Abbie Perry, Meleah Paishon, Carole Bingham, Ashley Chappell, Rocio Holker, Jenni Sperry
*All of our parents, parent volunteers, chaperones, and backstage helpers
*Guest artists: Amelia Rukavina, Bashaun Williams, Mike Martin, Dusty Stout, Rocio Holker, Mercedes Stout, Brandon Frandsen, Sharlee Peay, Landon Peay, Hannah Hurd, Juliana Martin
*Lighting Designer: Riley Merrill
*Sound Engineer: Daniel Bunker
*Flyman: Forest Ethington

*Coordinator: Carole Bingham
*Costume Coordinator: Rocio Holker
*Seamstress: Rebecca Burton
*Stage and Production Manager: Lisa Vorkink
*Hallway Manager: GeriLynn Vorkink
*Volunteer Manager: Carolyn Nottingham
*Volunteer Coordinator: Ashley Chappell
*Floor installation: Mike Martin, Ben Chappell
*Videographer: Matt Hepworth
*Photographers: Sharlee Peay Photography, Pro Pointe Photography
*Props: Kamela Allen, Breece Perry, Jason McCain

*Set improvements: Breece Perry
*Christmas tree operators: Ben Chappell

*Annie Brennenman
*Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center Event Manager: Tyler Smith
*Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center Technical Director: Ryan Smythe
*Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center staff
*ArtTix staff

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A note from the Artistic Director:

Dear family, friends, and supporters,

Welcome to our performances of The Nutcracker! I am thrilled that you are in attendance to support our incredible dancers. While every performance we have is a special event, The Nutcracker is close to my heart as it is our original interpretation of the full-length version of this beloved Christmas story. I am delighted to bring it back to the stage again this year for the fourth consecutive year. The Nutcracker is a unique performance for us as we have several guest performers from the community and our faculty, as well as professional guest artists in addition to over 150 dancers from our academy. It is so wonderful to see so much talent come together on this stage and bring this story to life.

We are thrilled to be performing in the state-of-the-art theater here at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center and hope you will enjoy the performance in this professional facility. I am so glad to have you here today. As a performer, there is nothing like the energy one feels from a full audience laughing, clapping, cheering, and otherwise being engaged in the show.

I would like to thank my amazing faculty for their time, talents, and energy. Their creativity, vision, and problem-solving skills are unparalleled. We would not be here without the class parents and other volunteers for contributing their time this week. I also need to recognize many members of my own family for their continued support and manpower to help these performances be successful. Thank you to my husband Mike, without whom West Point Ballet would surely not exist in any form. Finally, thank you parents for your faith in me and support of this program. This has been an amazing ride and I am looking forward to what's to come for West Point Ballet.

Enjoy the show!

Warmly,

Juliana Vorkink Martin
Owner and Artistic Director of West Point Ballet

Story Synopsis:

~ Act 1 ~

The enchanting story of The Nutcracker begins at the Stahlbaum’s residence. They are celebrating Clara coming of age at their annual Holiday party! Friends and family from all around come with gifts to celebrate. Clara and her younger brother Fritz are excited to see that their mysterious godfather Drosselmeyer comes to the party. He arrives with magic tricks and life size dancing dolls to entertain the guests! He brings a special gift for Clara, a beautiful one of a kind Nutcracker doll. The party comes to an end and the guests leave. Clara, being exhausted from all the excitement of the party, drifts to sleep with the Nutcracker safely in her arms.
During the night, the tree begins to grow, and mice appear in the shadows. Clara awakes to find herself surrounded by mice and rats! All of a sudden she sees that her beloved Nutcracker doll has turned into a Nutcracker Prince! He has brought his soldiers to fight the Rat Queen and her Rat army. Clara, frightened, distracts the Rat queen. As he turns to look at her the Nutcracker Prince triumphantly claims the queens crown in victory! The Nutcracker transforms into a prince and the angels lead them through the beautiful snow. The snow king and the snow queen dance with glistening snow flakes.

~ 15 MINUTE INTERMISSION ~

~ Act 2 ~

Clara and the Prince journey to a charming kingdom called The Land of Sweets. They are immediately greeted by jesters, sweet fairies and the elegant Sugar Plum Fairy with her Cavalier. Clara and the Nutcracker Prince tell everyone the story of the battle and her journey to find them. In honor of their victory, the Sugarplum Fairy excitedly summons everyone in the land of Sweets to dance for Clara the Prince. Clara joins her new found friends in a final dance and returns to her home, fast asleep with her Nutcracker.

Casting

Act 1 Casting

Villagers: Eden Dunn, Sicily Savage, Ella Morrell, Isabella Williams

Maid: Kate Wadsworth

Understudy: Sicily Savage

Nanny: Madi Earhart

Understudy: Eden Dunn

Clara: Lila Gardner

Understudy: Baylor Higgs

Fritz: Amillya McCain

Understudy: Ella Morrell

Mr. and Mrs. Stahlbaum:

Granny Julianny: Juliana Martin

Party Parents: Jenna Hansen, Mercedes Stout, Alyssa Bingham, Rocio Holker, Amber Holmes, Dusty Stout, Levi Allen, Brandon Frandsen

Party People: Dilainey Hinojos, Julia Michaelis, Sicily Savage, Jillian Hinckley, Emma Burton

Party Girls: Faye Hurd, Melody Tuitupou, Isabelle Dixon, Scout Salter, Hazel Dunn, Ashtyn Snow, Oakley Brown, Savannah Kern, Ivy van Rij, Scarlett Shamy, Ellie Baird

Jr Party Girls: Bria Martin, Blake Peay, Azalea Holmes, Portia Bonham, Hallie Hawkins, Kiera Pedroza, Rue Cassell, Nyah Griffith, Natalie Kennedy, Birdie Salter, Indy Howe, Lucy Bair, Ella Guevara, Luna Fulukava, Renata Aponte, Alexis Smith

Party Boys: Taft Peay, Crew Peay, Bryce Hurd, Finn Salter, Theo Martin

Garland Gallop: Ashtyn Snow, Bronte Perez, Ellie Baird, Maggie Glad, Rose Wright, Scout Salter, Sophia Andoh

Herr Drosselmeyer (“Drossel-Mike”): Mike Martin

Ballerina Doll: Clara Mitchell

Understudy: Jenna Hansen

Harlequin Doll: Addison Hunter

Understudy: Rosie Shamy

Dancing Bear: Liv Hanson

Understudy: Leah Frandsen

Baby Mice: Sapphire + Violet Academies:
Brighton Sutton, Catalina Eddings, Chloe Shamy, Hattie Hurd, Isabella Michaelis, Isabella Preusz, Isla Morrissey, Kate Sperry, Macie Wasden, Rosie Lamping, Tatiana Dorofeeva, Margot Roeller, Savanna Bean, Siena Judd

Bravo Company: Ahna Li, Audrey Glad

Drummer: Scarlett Shamy

Trumpeter: Savannah Kern

Rat Queen: Abigail Walker

Understudy: Halie Dixon

Rats: Naomi Day, Rosie Shamy, Addy Hunter, Madi Earhart, Heidi Davidson, Millie Katherine Atkinson, Levi Allen, Mahayla Chappell, Lola Firpo

Nutcracker Prince: Ryan Lambert

Understudy: Levi Allen

Soldiers: Jade Academy: Faye Hurd, Hazel Dunn, Izzy Dixon, Ivy van Rij, Melody Tuitupou, Savannah Kern, Scarlett Shamy

Lead Angel:

Angels: Hazel Schultz, Alice Kunzler, Lettie Hinckley, Ember Watson, Bella Bullard, Bella Ellingson, Emily Degn, Emery Wilhite, Hannah Blankenagel, Anabella Hernandez, Lily Crosby, Sadie Taylor

Snow Crystals: Brooklyn LaMela and Mahayla Chappell

Understudy: Tayli Greenhalgh

Snow Queen: Andrea Holker

Understudy: Leah Frandsen

Snow Jr. Corps: Addison Hunter, Brooklyn LaMela, Heidi Davidson, Jenna Hansen, Mahayla Chappell, Millie Katherine Atkinson, Liv Hanson, Tayli Greenhalgh

Snow Sr. Corps: Clara Mitchell, Carson McIntosh, Kali Kirton, Leah Frandsen, Alyssa Bingham, Elise Daw

Act 2 Casting

Sugar Plum Fairy: Morgan Morley

Cavalier: Bashaun Williams

Court Fairy: Leah Frandsen

Understudy: Alyssa Bingham

Ladies in Waiting: Ahna Li, Audrey Glad, Dilainey Hinojos, Emma Burton, Eunika Wang, Jillian Hinckley, Julia Michaelis, Kate Wadsworth, McKenzie Nielson, Oakley Brown

Royal Courtesan Lead:

Understudy:

Royal Courtesans:

Lead Sweet Fairy:

Sweet Fairies: Brighton Sutton, Kate, Macie, Tatiana, Margot, Savanna Bean, Siena Judd

Jesters: Ella Morrell and Isabella Williams

Jesters:

Spanish pas de deux: Carson McIntosh and Levi Allen

Understudy: Clara Mitchell

Arabian Queens: Andrea Holker and Leah Frandsen

Understudy: Kali Kirton

Arabian Corps: Leah Frandsen, Andrea Holker, Ryan Lambert

Understudy: Kali Kirton

Chinese Leads: Lola Firpo, Elise Daw, and Heidi Davidson

Chinese Corps: Ashtyn Snow, Bronte Perez, Ellie Baird, Maggie Glad, Rose Wright, Scout Salter, Sophia Andoh

Russian Soloists: Ryan Lambert, Levi Allen, Zach Facer, Leah Frandsen

Understudy: Andrea Holker

Russian Corps: Amillya McCain, Naomi Day, Rosie Shamy, Millie Katherine Atkinson, Liv Hanson, Tayli Greenhalgh

Lead Mirliton: Kali Kirton

Understudy: Elise Daw

Petite Mirlitons: Eden Dunn, Mckenzie Nielsen, Hallie Dixon, Oakley Brown, Eunika Wang, Baylor Higgs

Mother Ginger: Dusty Stout

Gingersnaps: Catalina Eddings, Chloe Shamy, Bella Michaelis, Isabella Preusz, Hattie Hurd, Rosie Lamping

Dew Drop Fairy: Alyssa Bingham

Understudy: Carson McIntosh

Waltz of the Flowers Jr Corps: Abigail Walker, Amillya McCain, Baylor Higgs, Eden Dunn, Ella Morrell, Hallie Dixon, Isabella Williams, Madi Earhart, Naomi Day, Rosie Shamy, Sicily Savage

Waltz of the Flowers Sr. Corps: Addison Hunter, Brooklyn LaMela, Carson McIntosh, Clara Mitchell, Elise Daw, Heidi Davidson, Jenna Hansen, Lola Firpo, Mahayla Chappell, Millie Katherine Atkinson, Liv Hanson, Tayli Greenhalgh, Kali Kirton, Andrea Holker, Leah Frandsen

We’re excited to be building a new ballet studio—a space where dancers of all ages can learn, grow, and feel inspired. As we work toward making this space a reality, we’re hoping for a little help. Donations will go directly toward making the studio safe and welcoming, including providing the equipment our dancers need to train and thrive.

If you’d like to support this project, we’re truly grateful. Every contribution, big or small, brings us one step closer. Thank you for being part of this community and cheering us on. ✨

DONATE HERE

Performers

Guest Performers

Morgan Morley, Sugar Plum Fairy

Insert BIO HERE and replace headshot

Bashaun Williams, Cavalier

Bashaun Williams is a native of Lubbock, Texas. He started dancing at the age of 16 with Ballet Lubbock, under the Artistic Direction of Yvonne Racz-Key. While in high school, Bashaun was the only Sophomore to play Varsity basketball for Lubbock High. He went on to become the captain of the Varsity team during his Junior and Senior years. Bashaun excelled artistically and academically while at Lubbock High school, performing numerous roles in many of Ballet Lubbock’s professional productions, and received the top honor of being named All-Westerner Boy during his Senior year. Bashaun was offered a full academic and artistic merit scholarship to attend the University of Utah.

At the University of Utah, Bashaun was a member of the resident performing company, Utah Ballet from 2007-2011. During this time, he performed numerous Principle and Soloist roles and graduated with Honors in 2011.

Upon graduation, Bashaun was offered a contract to join the Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, where he danced for an entire decade! As a member of the company, he toured extensively throughout the United States, Africa, France, Japan, Mongolia & South Korea to perform and teach master classes. As a professional dancer, Bashaun has performed the works of many renowned choreographers such as Alwin Nikolais, Murray Louis, Stevan Novakovich, Edward Truitt, Val Caniparoli, Rick Tija, Johannes Weiland, Bill T. Jones, Adam Barruch, Charlotte Boye-Christensen, Doug Varone, Yin Yue, Raja Feather Kelly and Daniel Charon, among others. Not only did his passion for performing grow during this time, but also, his passion for teaching. Bashaun has had the privilege of teaching master classes at renown universities such as Georgia University, The University of Utah, Utah Valley University, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, Brenau University, & Loyola Marymount University, to name a few. In the last 12 years, Bashaun has set choreography and taught creative movement classes in over 100 Utah schools! Bashaun is currently on faculty for Ballet West Academy, a full time fitness instructor, dance educator, and a freelance performer and choreographer based out of Salt Lake City.