Little Dancers Learn Famous Choreography at Nutcracker Workshops

Aspiring baby ballerinas gathered at Little Dreamers Kingdom on November 17 to celebrate the season with a magical Nutcracker Ballet workshop hosted by Baby Ballet Long Island. Tutu-clad dancers from 15 months to four years of age gathered at the play space to learn and dance their way through the famous ballet.

A warm up and Nutcracker ballet reading set the stage for the fairytale experience. After the story, eager dancers role-played with nutcracker dolls as the ballet’s heroine. The workshop’s finale brought the iconic Waltz of the Snowflakes to life as ballerinas learned the scene’s famous choreography amidst falling snow. Dancers took home a paint-your-own nutcracker craft to remember their magical experience, guaranteeing visions of sugarplums.

Baby Ballet Long Island is a boutique, mobile baby ballet studio offering classes and workshops at partner locations island-wide. The company was founded by Royal Academy of Dance certified Nikki Ciotta. This Brit turned Ronkonkoma resident developed the idea for Baby Ballet Long Island when she designed a class for her own little one in the spring of 2014. Today, “Miss Nikki” crisscrosses the island to bring 26 weekly classes to nine locations.

Baby Ballet Long Island classes are popular for a unique combination of magic and precision: Classes engage with imaginative music and movement but focus on the technically correct, “like sneaking veggies into your kid’s food,” according to one dancer’s mom. Each dancer from walking age is taught proper technique, including positions of the feet and posture. Miss Nikki’s mission and goal is to instill these from the beginning for a safe foundation and lifelong love of dance.

In addition to seasonal Nutcracker workshops, Baby Ballet Long Island also offers Swan Lake and Coppélia workshops and ballet themed birthday parties. Baby Ballet Long Island offers a full schedule of classes and workshops at www.babyballetlongisland.com.