Ballet Slipper dancers perform holiday magic

Costumes shimmer, pointe shoes tap against the floor, snow swirls in the air and dancers with flushed cheeks rush backstage to throw on another tutu.

Young dancers at the Ballet Slipper Conservatory, a nonprofit organization, are bringing the classic Christmas tale, “The Nutcracker,” to Whidbey on Dec. 13-14 at the Oak Harbor High School Performing Arts Center.

Girls as young as 8 years old take flight beneath the stage lights, twirling and leaping with surprising strength. For the older dancers, the pace is even faster; with up to seven costume changes each, they dart on and offstage like clockwork. In a production that normally takes 100 dancers, only 30 take on the impressive feat in Oak Harbor.

Hannah Brackeen, who plays the role of Clara, a young girl gifted a nutcracker toy, brings youthful energy and years of dedication to the spotlight. At 15 years old, she said she loves the expressive power ballet gives her.

“It can express emotions without words,” she said. Even though her role leaves her breathless and sweating as she slips offstage between scenes, she added, “The show goes on, and I just love it so much.”

For many families, this world has become a second home, all thanks to the work of ballet instructor “Miss” Diane Geragotelis. She has taught ballet in Oak Harbor for 33 years, cultivating a community around dance.

For “The Nutcracker,” the dancers rehearse for seven hours each Saturday, perfecting movements that appear effortless under stage lights. The true magic, Geragotelis said, is what the audience sees. Families and couples return year after year to watch the tradition unfold.

Many of her students have trained with her since they were little tots, and she considers them family. Geragotelis credits self-control for the dancers’ growth.

“All of my dancers are very disciplined,” she said. “I love what I do, and the kids respect the whole process.”

With an eye for passion, she said, she knows when a dancer’s heart isn’t in it, and she seeks out those who are committed to the art. With love and care, Geragotelis guides her dancers through the grueling physical demands of pointe work, which can leave them with bloody toes or aching feet and backs, she said.

Margarida Ramos, whose daughter has danced with the Ballet Slipper Conservatory for four years, appreciates the structure Miss Dianne’s ballet rehearsals provide.

“She’s a really good teacher,” Ramos said. “The discipline, the exercise that she gets — its more than dance.”

Long Saturdays leave her daughter tired, but Ramos sees pure joy in her face as she walks out of rehearsal, she said.

One board member, Lynne Evans, remembers when her own daughter, now 23, began dancing at the age of 4.

“When she was a little girl we took her to see one of Miss Diane’s shows,” she said. “My little girl said, ‘I want to dance on a stage.”

Her daughter went on to study dance in college and still performs Nutcracker roles today and teaches dance. Evans attributes that path to the devotion of Geragotelis, the teacher who sews every costume and treats each dancer as one of her own. Geragotelis is very technical and trains the girls in classical ballet with an experitise that is unmatched, she added.

“Miss Diane is a superstar,” Evans said.

This year, three dads volunteered to rotate through the role of Drosselmeyer, including Trevor Reed, whose daughter has been performing since 2021. Watching the girls rehearse, Reed laughed about the contrast between the dads and the dancers.

“We don’t need as much practice as they do because our role is more acting than dancing, thankfully,” he said. “If we danced, it would be tough.”

Watching the girls work, he said, gives him a new appreciation for their dedication.

“These girls make this look very easy. … It’s really difficult stuff,” he said.

Reed’s wife helps backstage, making their participation a full family affair.

When the curtain rises on “The Nutcracker,” the audience sees the magic, the graceful moves and the faces shining with effort and pride, but behind it stands a community that has grown together, season after season.

Performances will be held at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m on Dec. 13 and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 14.

Tickets are $18 for adults and $13 for children and seniors. It can be purchased online at https://tbscoh.org. Donations for the nonprofit are also accepted.

Photo by Marina Blatt. Tessa Lang, age 17, leaps with grace in the role of Sugar Plum Fairy.

Photo by Marina Blatt. From right, Ana Kettlewell, age 17, plays the role of the Nutcracker alongside Hannah Brackeen, age 15, in the role of Clara.

Photo by Marina Blatt. Dancers fan out in colorful tutus behind Tessa Lang, age 17, in the role of Sugar Plum Fairy.

Photo by Marina Blatt. From left are Aimee Brinlee, age 15, Riley White, age 16 and Daniella Ramos, age 13, dancing in the “Waltz of the Flowers.”

Photo by Marina Blatt. From left are Elena Holton, age 14, leaping next to Eliza Foster, age 13, both playing Lead Snow.

Photo by Marina Blatt. Hannah Brackeen, age 15, in the role of Clara leaps as if weightless in her pink nightgown.

Photo by Marina Blatt. From right, Ana Kettlewell, age 17, plays role of the Nutcracker alongside Hannah Brackeen, age 15, in the role of Clara.

Photo by Marina Blatt. A battle unfolds as dancers play-fight.

Photo by Marina Blatt. Hannah Brackeen, age 15, in the role of Clara.

Photo by Marina Blatt. Hannah Brackeen, age 15, in the role of Clara, looks for her nutcracker in her sleeping gown as she gets surrounded by mice.

Photo by Marina Blatt. Hannah Brackeen, age 15, in the role of Clara, holds her beautiful nutcracker toy.

Photo by Marina Blatt. Trevor Reed, playing Drosselmeyer, repairs the broken nutcracker to Clara’s delight. Hannah Brackeen, age 15, plays the role of Clara, expertly combining acting with dancing.