Nutcracker Performers visit Driffill School

OXNARD, Calif. (KEYT) The Ventura County Ballet brought the Nutcracker to Driffill School.

The featured dancers included students from a public schools in Ventura and a private school in Montecito.

A Ventura Ballet Company Member also performed a solo.

The children learned about the composer Tchaikovsky and the meaning of ballet gestures, too.

Isadora Chandler, who plays Clar, said she is a Laguna Blanca 10th grader.

She hopes to inspire others to never give up on their dreams.

"Ballet is a thing that you have to work like 8 years, 10 years, in order to get strong enough to do something like this so, it took awhile, but I was eventually able to get strong enough to play roles like Clara," said Chandler.

Jasmin Duncan, who performed as the Rat Queen and the Arabian dancer, enjoyed the reaction.

"I definitely felt a lot of energy, the kids yell and shout when they see something cool or maybe you might hear them going, oh wow at certain things, so that is really fun," said Duncan.

"It is really fun to see and I've actually never see ballot before," said 5th grader Camilla Melanephy.

Her teacher, Dr. Kimberley Dufau, helped arrange the visit and will be singing at the show in December.

One of the dancer showed the student her toe shoes.

Many of the dancers will be performing on point accompanied by a live orchestra at their upcoming shows on Saturday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Dec. 6th at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.

There will also be a special sensory friendly performance for people on the spectrum or with emotional challenges before the afternoon performance on Saturday.

For more information visit https://www.venturacountyballet.com