The Nutcracker with Florida Classical Ballet
by D. on 12/22/21Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center - Ft LauderdaleWhat can I say but WOW! I bought tickets for my mother, daughter, granddaughter(7) and myself, (four generations). Super easy to manage via the app and emails to remind over several weeks. First, the venue. Super easy to park, small and very intimate. Second, the performance. Having seen The Nutcracker in Chicago many times, Cincinnati and New York, my first thought was how are they going to do this with the stage size, the sets, etc. That became secondary once the dancers came out on stage. The quality of dancing, the professionalism of all the dancers was astounding. I felt completely absorbed by their performances. All ages on stage, all precise in their dancing. The level of professionalism was so high, it felt like they could have been on any stage. The audience clearly felt the same. I suspect many of the audience (which wasn't huge) were family members. All I can say is if you live in Ft. Lauderdale or the area, this was seriously worth the trip. For my granddaughter, it was inspiring to see dancers her age that were so professional. Third, the set. The music was prerecorded, the background was a video projection so if you want revolving sets, lots of diversions from the dancing, that isn't provided here. After they came on stage, I really didn't care. We focused so much on the dancers that the background was secondary to why we were there. I felt privileged to have seen these wonderful dancers. I'll finish by saying I am not a dancer, had no dancers on the stage, didn't even know anyone in the whole theater, had never been to this venue. It was just a chance for us to get together for a Christmas afternoon performance. Would I go back next year? You bet! I was so inspired by their performance I wanted to personally thank the school.