Aiva Berrigan, a seventh grader at Bow Memorial School, is performing in Boston Ballet’s production of Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker in the role of a soldier.
Berrigan will be in 15 shows, including the opening night on Friday at the Boston Opera House. The Nutcracker offers performances through Dec. 31.
Berrigan trained locally at Eastern Ballet Institute in Concord and has spent many summers at intensives including Burklyn Ballet, Boston Ballet, and this past summer, the School of American Ballet in New York City. Her resume includes ballet productions such as Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book and The Emperor’s New Clothes. Last Christmas, she danced the lead role of Partridge in the Twelve Days of Christmas at the Capitol Center for the Arts. She has also competed as a soloist, dancing classical variations from Don Quixote and Sleeping Beauty. Berrigan was recently accepted into the pre-professional program at Boston Ballet and currently trains at the Boston facility seven days per week.
Berrigan joins 250 other young Boston Ballet School students from around New England in The Nutcracker. Three different casts will fill the roles of toy soldiers, pages, reindeer, lambs, polichinelles, baby mice, and party children.
Since its world premiere in 2012, Nissinen’s and Robert Perdziola’s re-envisioned production has been delighting Boston Ballet audiences. Nissinen’s The Nutcracker marked the first time Boston Ballet built a new production entirely from the ground up. Perdziola illustrated more than 40 sketches that were transformed into the production’s larger-than-life sets that range from calm, subtle colors in the Act I party scene to vibrant colors in Act II’s Land of the Sweets.
All children performing in The Nutcracker are students of Boston Ballet School. Students auditioned and started rehearsing for the production in October. They will experience the unique, backstage atmosphere at the Boston Opera House through technical and dress rehearsals, as well as performances accompanied by Boston Ballet Orchestra and attended by more than 2,000 audience members each night.
Participating in a full-length ballet is an important performance opportunity for students, exposing them to aspects of ballet they do not experience in a regular class. The students learn about the hard work and enjoyment that composes a live ballet performance, and have the unique opportunity to dance alongside Boston Ballet’s 66 internationally-acclaimed professional dancers from around the world.
All 44 performances of The Nutcracker will take place at the Boston Opera House (539 Washington St, Boston). Berrigan will perform: Friday, opening night (7:30 p.m.), Sunday (1:30 p.m.), Dec. 1 (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 3 (1:30 p.m.), Dec. 7 (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 9 (1:30 p.m.), Dec. 13 (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 16 (1:30 p.m.), Dec. 17 (6 p.m.), Dec. 21 (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 23 (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 26 (1:30 p.m.), Dec. 27 (7:30 p.m.), Dec. 29 (1:30 p.m.), Dec. 31 (7 p.m.)
Tickets start at $35.
For more information, visit bostonballet.org/ nutcracker or call (617) 695-6955.
Kimberlie Berrigan
