Yorktown Girl to Perform at Westchester Ballet Company's The Nutcracker

For the past 15 years, the Westchester Ballet Company—one of America's oldest community ballet troupes—has been entertaining audiences at the Westchester County Center with its production of The Nutcracker, and this magical holiday treat has become a tradition for families across the county.

Nicole Miller, a junior at , will be performing her roles -- Flower and Russian -- this weekend.

"The thing I love the most about dancing is being able to perform with my friends while having a great time," she said. "It is great to be on stage in front of an audience because all of the hard work and rehearsals you put into the show come together and then you can really perform your parts for the audience."

Nicole, 16, has been dancing since she was 4, and while she might not be sure if she wants to make a career out of dancing, she said, she definitely doesn't want to stop dancing anytime soon. 

"My biggest accomplishment as a dancer has been that I stuck with it all these years, worked hard to improve, and became the dancer that I am today," she said. "I have been a part of the Westchester Ballet Company’s Nutcracker for the past nine years. I started out as a solo mouse and worked my way to Flower and Russian."

Nicole is also a member of the Yorktown High School’s Dance Company since her freshman year and will be receiving her Girl Scout gold award this year.

Since early September, the company has been rehearsing at Ossining's Logrea Dance Academy, the school of the Westchester Ballet Company, and more recently at the County Center. Many of the older, more experienced dancers have multiple roles, requiring additional hours in the studio.

"We have a dedicated and talented group of young dancers who work very hard to prepare for our performances," says Beth Fritz-Logrea, co-artistic director. "Their commitment and enthusiasm inspires all of us involved with the production."

The production features professional guest soloists in the leading roles and professionally trained student dancers from communities throughout Westchester and neighboring areas. This year, Brazilians Marcella de Paiva Montes and Nayon Rangel Iovino, rising young stars from The Washington Ballet in Washington, D.C., will appear as the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier. 

Under the direction of Beth Fritz-Logrea and Jean Logrea, the show includes spectacular scenery, beautiful costumes, classic choreography and special stage effects that rival the best productions in the New York metropolitan area—for a fraction of the cost.

Westchester Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker is Dec. 17 at 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.; Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. All performances are at the Westchester County Center, 198 Central Park Avenue, White Plains. Tickets purchased in advance: $20; $14 children ages 2-10 and seniors.

All tickets are $25 the day of the performance. For tickets call 914-995-4050 or visit www.countycenter.biz. You can also purchase tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.