Hilton Head Monthly Magazine

The Hilton Head Dance Theatre celebrates its anniversary the old-fashioned way: By staging a locals-filled “Nutcracker” to usher in the holiday season.

Walk into the lobby of the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina during the run of the Hilton Head Dance Theatre’s “The Nutcracker,” and you’ll feel like you’ve been transported into The Land of Sweets, the world dreamed up in Tchaikovsky’s holiday classic. “The Nutcracker” has long served as the unofficial start to the island’s holiday season thanks to the work of the Hilton Head Dance Theatre, a nonprofit organization marking its 25th year of fostering an interest in dance as an art form. “The HHDT has evolved from the intimate Dunnagan’s Alley stage to the beautiful Arts Center stage,” said Kelly Ogden, a former president on the board of the HHDT. “The student dancers have danced roles that some career dancers will only dream of.”

The theater is part of the Hilton Head Dance School, which opened in May of 1985 with 17 students and has grown to include 300 students between the ages 3 to 18, making it one of the largest youth organizations in the area. The school’s board members and representatives credit that longevity to one thing: community support.

“The hours that volunteers have spent producing four shows every year are astounding,” Ogden said. “This involves everything from making the costumes to running the set changes, creating the advertising and marketing and loading the sets in and out of the theaters. It goes on and on.”

Ogden, whose two daughters have performed in Hilton Head Dance School productions, said she was pleasantly surprised to find the school upon her family’s relocation from Chicago in 1994. When her oldest daughter performed in the full-length ballet “Sleeping Beauty” the following year, Ogden found herself amazed at the quality of the talent, sets and costumes. “Being involved with many organizations in Chicago and Milwaukee, I was blown away by the group of volunteer men and women who made this production possible,” she said.

In productions featuring Dance School students, the HHDT — the only local dance organization that performs classical ballets with professional guest artists — covers all expenses not directly related to instruction or rehearsal, which include costumes, sets, facility rental, publicity, printing and fees for guest artists and technical staff.

• • •

But how does such a nonprofit thrive in a time when so many other arts organizations have suffered? Smith credits not only the community but also the dedication of the dancers and instructors, many of whom have been with the Dance School since the beginning. There’s also a bit of old-fashioned community support. The HHDT raises money at each of the Dance School’s performances by holding a silent auction and boutique featuring handmade and specialty items. The theater hosts “Tea For Tutu,” an annual tutu fashion show that showcases Karena Brock-Carlyle’s old dance costumes, tutus from Dance School performances and fashions from local merchants. And the group’s biggest fundraiser is its membership drive, which is held from the beginning of the school year through “The Nutcracker.” Sometimes, good news happens too: The HHDT recently received a charitable estate gift of more than $500,000, which will be used to offset operating and building costs.

“But in addition to monetary contributions, one of the biggest contributions they benefit from is time,” said Kelly Smith, who served as president of the HHDT for the past two years, “The HHDT is one of the few local organizations with an all-volunteer board of directors. The board of directors consists of 16 local residents, some of whom have served on the board for more than 10 or 15 years.”

It’s that kind of longevity that helps the HHDT look forward to another 25 years and beyond. “It is so important to continue support of the arts,” said Mary Coleman, a past president of HHDT. “Especially in difficult times, it is important to nourish the soul with beauty.”

THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF ‘THE NUTCRACKER’

• “The Nutcracker,” returns at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 6, 10-13 and 2:30 p.m. Nov. 7 and 13-14 at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. The production will feature all of the Hilton Head Dance School’s nearly 300 students, as well as returning guest professionals Peter Kozak, formerly of the Joffrey Ballet, and Daniel May, formerly with Atlanta Ballet. The role of the Sugar Plum Fairy will be shared by Mackenzie Ogden, Ella Cuda and Caroline Santorum. The Dew Drop Fairy will be performed by Lane Allen. Tickets are $31 for adults and $23 for those 18 and under. 843-842-2787. www.hhdt.org
  
• The HHDT will host a black-tie gala to commemorate its 25th year and honor Karena Brock-Carlyle and John Carlyle, the husbandand-wife duo who serve as artistic directors for the HHDT and instructors in the Dance School, on Nov. 5 at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina. The evening will include a performance from guest artists of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, and a unique version of “The Nutcracker’s Land of Sweets” choreographed by John Carlyle. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased by calling 843-842-2787 or going to www.artshhi.org.