Nothing says ‘holiday season’ in Haliburton County quite like Heritage Ballet’s The Nutcracker.
Again, working with Skyline Dance Studio, creator Julie Barban said she has some changes in store for the show that has enchanted local families for two decades.
“I’ve changed up Waltz of the Snowflakes a little bit, so somebody who has come on a fairly regular basis, they are certainly going to notice that,” she said.
Barban added, “I kind of changed Waltz of the Flowers last year, so this year it’s a snowflake theme. The party scene is a little bit different, too. I don’t have any little girls in it. I went with all a little bit older.”
In fact, she said she is featuring the senior students more in this year’s ballet.
Her colleague, Wilson Klodt Wong, has choreographed the Arabic dance, again, and is dancing with Chloe Morissette this year.
The lead dancer is Maddy Walker. “This is her fourth production, just since I’ve been at Skyline,” Barban said. “Chloe has been in it since she was two, so Chloe’s 14th year.”
She added they have a few upgrades and additions in costumes thanks to sewer Dani Smolen, who “does her magic.”
Barban and her team started working with their young dancers the second week of September, devoting Saturdays and Sundays.
The 20-year milestone is not lost on the woman who oversees the classic tale of the story loosely based on the E.T.A. Hoffmann fantasy story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King.
She said she loves the story, the music and the dancing and “bringing it to the community. It’s been pretty awesome.” She admits she is proud of the work over the years, and what it means to the Highlands.
After two decades, Barban said she has her role down to a science but it really came together in 2025 “It’s taken a long time, but it feels like ‘wow, this really came together. It only took me 20 years,” she said with a chuckle.
However, the end is in sight, with Barban saying she might do a few more Nutcrackers before hanging the ballet up and freeing up more of her time.
As for this weekend, she said, “I don’t know that I get excited, because it’s just so ingrained now. But I just love it.”
There are three performances this weekend: Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Dec. at 2 p.m.
For tickets, go to onstagedirect.com
