Nutcracker 2025

Rehearsals – Week 2

Monday, October 13

7:35-8:35 – All Waltz of Snow: Snowflakes (White and Blue), Snow Queen, North Wind, Frost

Tuesday, October 14

7:35-8:35 – Nutcracker, Queen Rat

Wednesday, October 15

7:35-8:35 – Sugarplum Fairy and Cavalier

Rehearsals – Week 3

Saturday, October 18

10:00-10:45 – Toy Soldiers, Parade of Dolls, Harlequin, Colombina Duo, Clara

10:45-11:30 – Candy Cane Flutes, Mirliton Duo, Clara, Arabians (Yes Soloists)

11:30-12:15 – Chinese (Yes Soloists), Russians (Yes Soloists)

12:15-1:00 – Clara, Mice, Rats, Queen Rat, Nutcracker

1:00-1:15 – Break 

1:15-2:00 – Redcoats, Bluecoats

2:00-2:45 – Angels (Yes, Soloist), Clara, Nutcracker

2:45-3:30 – All Waltz of Flowers: Monarch, Dragonflies, Marigolds, Hawthorns, Principal Flowers, Flower Corps de Ballet

  

Monday, October 20

7:35-8:35 – All Waltz of Snow: Snowflakes (White and Blue), Snow Queen, North Wind, Frost

Tuesday, October 21

7:35-8:35 – Nutcracker, Queen Rat

Wednesday, October 22

7:35-8:35 – Sugarplum Fairy and Cavalier

Nutcracker 2025 — Understudies (additional roles TBA)

Clara – Josephine McKeon

Party Girls – Elise Babler

Mechanical Soldier – Violet Miller

Mechanical Rat – Elise Sheehan

Nutcracker – Logan VanderBush

Mice – Raya Kassas

Rats – Alaina O’Connor

Redcoats – Addison Gau

Bluecoats – Violet Orr

Ice Princess – Aili Jones

Snowflakes (Blue) – Maddie Tracy

North Wind – Ben Klavitter

Frost – Ethan Gerdes

 

Guardian Angel – Elizabeth Kelsey

Little Angels – Ella Keeler

Sugarplum Fairy – Emilia Harris

Her Cavalier – Thomas Vanderlinde

Harlequin – Apollo Bellings

Principal Spanish – Addison Slade

Principal Chinese – Vivian Hoelscher

Principal Russian – Elliana David

Candy Cane Flutes – Amelia Fern

Monarch – Laurelyn Vanderlinde

Principal Flower – Annabelle McKeon

Marigold – Alexandra Wethal

Dragonfly – Claire Hillary

Flower Corps de Ballet – Peyton Moran

 


Nutcracker 2025 — Cast List

Clara – Paige Schweikert

Fritz – Ethan Gerdes

Clara’s Mother – Annabelle McKeon

Parents – Soraya Munson, Angelina Steinlage, Laurelyn Vanderlinde, Serena Vosberg, Madeline Gerdes, Jenna Smith, Eden Thomas

Logan VanderBush, Christian Maiers, Taylor Rupp, Bob Wethal, Mark McKeon, Dave Klavitter, Tom Miller

Party Children – Sarah Blum, Lillian Boettner, Elliana David, Vivian Hoelscher, Miriam Keister, Eliza Lindsey, Ireland Schrodt

Drosselmeyer – Tom Taylor

Toy Soldiers – Kattarina Davis, Eva Flesher, Jolie Givens, Lila Givens, Luca Givens, Lucia McKeon, Lily Powell, Ada Steuer

Mechanical Soldier – Maddie Tracy

Mechanical Rat – Elizabeth Kelsey

Queen Rat – Emilia Histed

Enchanted Nutcracker – Thomas Vanderlinde

Mice – Roselyn Bisinger, Nora DeHeck, Esme Eagle, Amelia Fern, Claire O’Connor, Augustine Their

Rats – Harper Givens, Ella Keeler, Liam Ripperger, Michael McKeon

Redcoats – Aurora Lucas, Alyza Powell, Kate Risma, Penelope Risma, Claira Ronning, Rosalyn Welsh

Bluecoats – Aurora Davis, Lila Henn, Gabriella Roling, Quinn Stumpf, Isla Von Mulert

Ice Princess – Hattie Peterson

Icicles – Elise Babler, Lauren Drolema, Charlotte Gratton, Peyton Moran

Queen of Snow – Josephine McKeon

Snowflakes (White) – Gillian Dowe, Aili Jones, Addison Shade, Claire Hillary, Violet Miller, Elise Sheehan, Alexandra Wethal, Elizabeth Kelsey

Snowflakes (Blue) – Annabelle McKeon, Soraya Munson, Nora Nieto, Angelina Steinlage, Laurelyn Vanderlinde, Serena Vosberg, Madeline Gerdes, Jenna Smith

North Wind – Mack McKeon

Frost – Ben Klavitter, Apollo Bellings

***

Clara’s Guardian Angel – Annabelle McKeon

Little Angels – Amelia Fern, Claire O’Connor, Augustine Their

Sugarplum Fairy – Nora Nieto

Her Cavalier – Ben Klavitter

Harlequin – Ethan Gerdes

Colombina Duo – Claire Hillary, Alexandra Wethal

Parade of Dolls – Evie Davis, Joseph Keister, Emmy Posson, Evelyn Ray, Larkin Reisch, Penelope Von Mulert, Megan Zahradnik

Principal Spanish – Angelina Steinlage, Taylor Rupp

Spanish – Elise Babler, Lauren Drolema, Charlotte Gratton, Peyton Moran, Ireland Schrodt

Principal Arabian – Soraya Munson, Thomas Vanderlinde, Christian Maiers

Arabians – Esme Eagle, Aurora Lucas, Kate Risma, Penelope Risma, Claira Ronning, Rosalyn Welsh

Principal Chinese – Laurelyn Vanderlinde, Logan VanderBush

Chinese – Rosalyn Bisinger, Nora DeHeck, Michael McKeon, Alyza Powell, Violet Orr

Principal Russian – Serena Vosberg, Tom Taylor

Russians – Aurora Davis, Harper Givens, Lila Henn, Ella Keeler, Liam Ripperger, Gabriella Roling, Quinn Stumpf, Isla Von Mulert

Mirliton Duo – Gillian Dowe, Jenna Smith

Candy Cane Flutes – Celia Berning, Maude Blewett, Evelyn Brimeyer, Addison Gau, Raya Kassas, Alaina O’Connor

Monarch Butterfly – Aili Jones

Marigolds – Addison Shade, Maddie Tracy

Dragonflies – Violet Miller, Elise Sheehan

Hawthorns – Apollo Bellings, Mack McKeon

Principal Flowers – Josephine McKeon, Hattie Peterson, Emilia Histed, Madeline Gerdes

Flower Corps de Ballet – Sarah Blum, Lillian Boettner, Elliana David, Vivian Hoelscher, Miriam Keister, Eliza Lindsey, Eden Thomas, Elizabeth Kelsey



The Story of “The Nutcracker” – 2025 Dubuque City Youth Ballet

It is Christmas Eve at Clara’s house, and she is celebrating with family and friends. Her brother Fritz, who loves pranks, frightens Clara with a mouse – the thing that scares Clara the most! – And a quarrel ensues among all the children.

It is interrupted by a sudden arrival. Clara’s godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, has unexpectedly appeared. He is a mysterious man: an inventor and a toymaker. The children are uncertain about him at first, but he delights them with tiny Toy Soldiers who move on their own.  

Drosselmeyer’s next gifts are even more astounding. Life-size Mechanical Dolls: A Brave Soldier and a Wicked Rat. Clara is delighted with the Soldier, who dances with her gallantly. But Fritz likes the Rat. He ends up overwinding it, and the Rat begins to chase the children in fury. When the Mechanical Soldier defends Clara, he is bitten by the Rat and collapses.

Clara is heartbroken, but Drosselmeyer reminds them all that these are only toys. However, Drosselmeyer says, there was a soldier long ago, who was cursed by the bite of a rat after defending a princess. He was transformed into a wooden Nutcracker, and is waiting for someone to break the spell to this day. To everyone’s astonishment, Drosselmeyer suddenly brings out that very Nutcracker!

Clara is so happy when her godfather gives her the Nutcracker as a gift, but Fritz is jealous. Grabbing the Nutcracker from her as a joke, he plays roughly with it, breaking it. Everyone is appalled and Clara is in tears. Fritz, contrite, brings the toy to Drosselmeyer, who is able to repair the Nutcracker and give it back to Clara. Clara solemnly promises to protect the Nutcracker from now on. Soon it is bedtime, and all go off to sleep.

As Midnight strikes in the darkened ballroom, mice and rats scurry across the floor. Clara returns to visit her Nutcracker under the Christmas tree, and she is shocked when the mice steal him away and the rats chase and tease her. The Queen Rat arrives, and with her magic she makes the Christmas tree grow to monstrous heights. The Nutcracker reappears—now as tall as a man! – and he fights with the Queen Rat, calling upon all the wooden soldiers, who have grown as well, to help defend Clara.

The battle is fiercely fought, and when the Nutcracker is nearly overcome, Clara rescues him with a timely blow against the Queen Rat.

Before she understands what has happened, the nightmare has melted away, and Clara is alone in the dark. It grows colder and colder, and her tears turn to ice as they fall. But her bravery has summoned the beautiful Ice Princess with her Icicles, and they lead Clara to where the Nutcracker is. His curse has been broken by Clara’s act of valor, and together they go to greet the Queen of Snow and the North Wind. They lead Clara on a journey through the Land of Winter, amid a great blizzard of Snowflakes, toward the Land of Sweets and Dolls.

In a warm, sweet-scented country, Clara is greeted by her Guardian Angel – who looks just like her beautiful mother! The Angel brings her to a marvelous city made of gingerbread, marzipan, and toffee, and presents her to the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier, who rule over all the dolls and candy in this magical place.

Dolls from every land gather with great interest to hear Clara tell the story of how she rescued the Nutcracker from the Queen Rat and broke his enchantment. To celebrate, the Sugarplum Fairy commands all the dolls and sweets to dance for Clara. A Harlequin with his Colombinas lead a merry Parade. Feisty Spanish, perfumed Arabians, acrobatic Chinese, and boisterous Russian dolls each eagerly step forward to show Clara what they can do. A pair of Mirlitons lead a group Candy Cane Flutes, who pipe sweetly.

Then Clara follows a brightly-colored Monarch Butterfly into a lush garden. The Butterfly flits joyously among the Marigolds and Hawthorns, with jeweled Dragonflies darting back and forth over countless flowers of every kind.

Even the Sugarplum Fairy herself dances for Clara. She and her Cavalier perform a majestic pas de deux. And all the flowers and candy dolls join in a jubilant finale.

At last, it is time for Clara to go home. Everyone bids her farewell, and she knows she will never forget this beautiful Christmas dream.

The End

Rehearsal Etiquette

  • Arrive about 15 minutes early to be fully ready to begin at your designated start time.

  • Dancers should be focused and prepared to memorize choreography. Many dancers write notes following rehearsal and review notes prior to the next week’s rehearsal.

  • Rehearsal dress code is less formal than class, but must be appropriate, form-fitting dancewear. Solid colored leotards (other than black) are allowed. Warm-ups are allowed if they do not impair dancing or visibility. Hair should be neat and off the face (bun not required).

  • Visitors are not allowed during rehearsals.

  • Parents and other family members are not allowed to observe rehearsals, but may pick-up dancers in the lobby or outside of the Grand.

  • Please be on time for pick-up at the end of rehearsal.

  • If your dancer is ill on the day of rehearsal, please email and/or call the studio to leave a message. Remember only ONE missed rehearsal is allowed.