What a duet!
A group of pint-sized Brighton Beach ballerinas will take the stage with pros from the renowned Moscow Ballet for a special performance of “The Nutcracker” at the Kings Theatre on Dec. 5 — and the mini ballerinas say they are jazzed to take part in the holiday classic.
“It’s very fun,” said 7-year-old Madison-Elizabeth Hastings of the Brighton Ballet Theatre, who will be dancing a French-style piece in the Russian ballet. “I’m really excited for it.”
Ballerinas with the famed Russian company auditioned students from the Brighton theater and a few other companies and selected 30 kids between the ages of 7 and 12 — then set about training them for the big show, “The Great Russian Nutcracker.”
The collaboration is part of a Moscow Ballet program that links the company’s professional pirouetters with kids from local studios for an educational experience.
The founder of the Brighton troupe says her proteges have benefited greatly from the team-up, and have loved getting a taste of professional ballet from a real prima’s point of view.
“The whole experience is amazing,” said Irena Roizin. “The more children are on stage, the more they get the experience of what it is to be a dancer — to work with professional dancers is a privilege for them.”
The ornately-costumed holiday event will also mix other international ballet stylings — including Spanish and Chinese variations — and the ballerinas will be accompanied by life-sized puppets against a dazzling array of backdrops.
“The Great Russian Nutcracker” at the Kings Theatre [1027 Flatbush Ave. between Tilden Avenue and Duryea Place in Flatbush, (718) 856–5464, www.kings
