by Waverly W., 8 years old and Gavin M., 8 years old, Manhattan 
The Kiditor here! Gavin and I both love the beautiful music from The Nutcracker so we were excited to go see The New York City Children’s Theater show Ballerina Swan and The Nutcracker (from the book BALLERINA SWAN by Allegra Kent). We knew we would have fun, but we didn’t know we would actually learn some lessons and have a fun surprise in the middle of the show, too!
The show is about a group of dancers who are getting ready to be in The Nutcracker. One of them is Sophie the Swan, the only dancing swan in the world….or is she? Let’s just say that someone comes in and messes up their plans…or does he? We don’t want to give too much away so you have to see it for yourself!! We CAN tell you that the music, dancing and costumes are all really, really nice and if YOU (or your little sister or brother) like to dance, there is a special treat for you in the middle of the show! The show is funny and fun to watch but makes you think about serious things like jealousy and how to deal with things when they don’t go the way you planned them, and also reminds you not to be afraid to be yourself. We think it was a great show to go to if you like ballet and plays because they were mixed in together. We also think it is a perfect holiday show to go with your little sister or brother – there were lots of younger kids there and since the play is not too long, they will be able to watch the whole thing without getting antsy.
Gavin here! I really liked the music in the show and I liked the funny parts of the show. I think my little brother William would have liked it a lot and so would his friends.
Back to Waverly! There were a lot of parts I liked but the costumes were amazing, especially at the end! I also loved the last part when all the dancers got to do their own little special dance – wow, they really are talented! All the actors were great but Emily Vetsch was super great as Sophie the Swan because she had to be a swan the whole time and it must have been hard to dance in that costume but she really made it seem like she was an actual swan! Also Amaker Smith, who plays The Nutcracker, surprised us and was very talented at playing not only the Nutcracker but the surprise character who comes in and changes everything. We got to meet them all after the show and they were very nice and we want to say a big THANK YOU to them and also congratulations on all the hard work they did to put on that great show.
The Mom here! Yes, a big thank you to the actors and to The New York City Children’s Theater, who for twenty years has provided theater for kids and adults to enjoy together. Our missions are very similar: To promote children’s literacy – what can I say, great minds think alike! 🙂
Not only do they produce high-quality shows for children and adults to watch together, but they also serve children across NYC through arts-in-education programs. You can learn more about them at NYCChildrenstheater.org and/or follow them on social media Instagram @nycchildrenstheater Twitter @NYCKidstheater Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nycchildrenstheater/
And remember: Don’t be afraid to be yourself!
