Ovation Dance Academy of Tampa to perform Nutcracker Suite ahead of Christmas

Ovations Dance Academy of Tampa is one of countless dance companies all over the world preparing to perform The Nutcracker Suite this holiday season.

TAMPA, Fla. - Ovations Dance Academy of Tampa is one of countless dance companies all over the world preparing to perform The Nutcracker Suite this holiday season.

"It's a classic from the 1800s, and every company portrays it differently," said Virginia Archer, Ovations Dance Academy of Tampa's instructor.

Around 65 students, ages 5 and up, have been rehearsing since August for the 90-minute performance. They will join a handful of professional dancers to perform two shows.

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"It's a very famous ballet, and so it's kind of like a rite of passage for every dancer to be in it," 15-year-old Abigail Barnhill said.

Barnhill has been dancing for 11 years, and she’s always loved music, but adding dance to the music provided the perfect combination.

"When I'm dancing, I'm just like feeling the music through my body," she said. "I found that I can express myself with that music. I like the satisfaction that I get when I do a step right."

Watching students get their steps correct is what makes Ovations’ founder Orlando Pena the happiest. This is the second year his studio will be performing the Nutcracker. Prior to moving to Tampa, Pena had a studio in New York City, where the company performed the Nutcracker for 24 years.

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"I always wait for them to have that aha moment. In the beginning, you kind of give them the steps and they have a difficult time, and then you start seeing them click," Pena said. "Then they realize, I could do this, and that's exciting to witness, and they all have their little aha moments at different times. That's the pleasure of teaching and having a studio, so you get to experience those aha moments."

Pena loves that the students get to experience the process of a show coming together, something Archer is familiar with. She’s performed in the Nutcracker numerous times and is now teaching for the first time.

"It's like how to basically present yourself to the audience and communicate with them. Since we don't use our words, we have to use our bodies, so language is really important," Archer said.

Archer has been teaching at Ovations since the summer. She said it’s endearing to watch the students learn and grow, as she strives to be a good role model and mentor.

"They get to see a professional dancer for the first time, and I remember my experience as a little girl being like, I hope to be like that when I grow up, or I mimic the things that they do," Archer said. "I'm starting to see the same mannerisms as when I was a little girl with them now, and it's really sweet and like a little flashback."

The two performances of The Nutcracker Suite will be on December 14 at Dunedin High School. For more information, visit www.ovationsdanceoftampa.com.

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