Emily Dylewski of Suffield Performs Lead Roles in the Nutcracker

Connecticut Concert Ballet’s Nutcracker has another full weekend of shows coming up, and Emily Dylewski of Suffield is highlighted in the performances. Emily was selected from the cast of 260 for two lead roles when auditions were held in September. She will be dancing as the Snow Princess and as the Arabian dancer.

Emily performs alongside professional Guest Artists. The Sugar Plum Fairy will be performed by returning Manchester native Rebecca DeNies along with Azamat Asangul Uulu as the Nutcracker Prince. Azamat is a native of Kyrgyzstan and has performed worldwide with the Russian National Ballet, the Moscow City Ballet and with the Kyrgyz National Opera and Ballet Theatre; he is currently a company member with the Island Moving Company in Newport, RI. Rebecca is a CCB alumna and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Hartford with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University’s Hartt School.

CCB’s best dancers also excel in academics and community involvement. This pursuit of excellence results in technically proficient performers and well rounded individuals. CCB is proud of its students for their continued growth as dancers, and for the following accomplishments.

Emily is a National Honor Society senior at Suffield High School where she is Student Council Secretary and takes the highest level classes. A powerful dancer, Emily says the most challenging part of ballet “is maintaining grace while using strength and precision with each step.” A past Clara, Emily enjoys performing and her favorite roles are those that require high levels of difficulty. What Emily enjoys most about ballet is, “When I step into the studio I can ignore everything on the outside and concentrate on myself and improving my skills for a few hours.” Emily is an Ensemble member in CCB’s pre-professional program.
At age 5, Emily was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and must actively manage this disease at every practice. Eleven years ago, her family began participating in the Walk for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and four years ago, Emily invited her friends from CCB into “Emily’s Army”.

Performances will be held at the state of the art Bailey Auditorium, Manchester High School, 134 Middle Turnpike East, on Saturday, December 20 (2 p.m. and 7 p.m.) and Sunday, December 21 (2 p.m.).

Advance Ticket Information: Preferred Front & Center Seats $35; General Admission: Adult $25, Child/Student/Senior $15. Tickets are available online at www.connecticutnutcracker.com, also at Dance Village, 171 Spencer St, Manchester and Hairdresser on Fire, 176 Broad St, Windsor. Tickets $38, $28, $18 at the door.

The technical aspects of the production including costumes, lighting and stage crew are provided by professionals and CCB’s highly capable students from 34 towns are an integral part of the production. Each year, Connecticut Concert Ballet’s Nutcracker is one of the largest community events in the greater Hartford area.

Proceeds from the show fund this 501(c)(3) not-for-profit school year round, allowing for scholarships and keeping the tuition and total cost for its students the lowest in the area.

Connecticut Concert Ballet is a semi-professional 501(c)(3) classical ballet school and performing arts organization with studios in Manchester on the Glastonbury line and in Windsor at the Loomis Chaffee School. Connecticut Concert Ballet proudly employs the AMERICAN BALLET THEATRE® National Training Curriculum. CCB is honored to announce it had been named “Best Dance Lessons” in Hartford Magazine’s “Best of Hartford” readers’ poll for 2013 and 2014.

For information please visit www.ctconcertballet.org, call 860-643-4796 or visit us at www.facebook.com/connecticutconcertballet.

Photo credits: Exclusive Image