  How can it possibly be our 20th year? In 2004, Mark and I were just getting Nolte Academy onto its feet as a dance studio and still struggling to make it, but we knew that our community deserved a Nutcracker. The Englert had just reopened as a performing arts venue, and with their leadership, we had a vision for the magic we could create. Our first stage effort was danced to canned music with narration. It wasn’t a bad start, but we knew it could be more.
That’s when we met the incomparable Carey Bostian, who believed in this shared dream. In 2007, our Nutcracker became the first production in Iowa with a live orchestra, and it held that unparalleled accolade for many years. The addition of the Sinfonia Nolte has truly made this production magical; we simply can’t thank Carey enough for his creative vision. He and his immensely talented musicians have brought the dancers and stage to life for each performance. In those first years, Nolte Academy didn’t have quite enough homegrown talent to handle the lead roles. We brought in guest artists, and sometimes even Nolte Academy faculty would don their tights and dance with our students! These days, we have multiple casts and understudies to accommodate the incredible talent and growth of our dedicated dancers. We give thanks to the generous support of our inaugural donors, Herb and Janice Wilson, and to Hills Bank for sponsoring this production for the past many years. Our mission from year one was to make The Nutcracker a little better every year. From rented backdrops and a very feeble tree made from outdoor turf from Menards to a professionally produced set that takes an army of stage crew volunteers to move along with a beautifully magical growing tree, we keep working to improve the production each season. Our current ballet has evolved to include a party scene featuring Nolte parents partaking in the festivities, the Snowflake Chorus — a group of singers from the Iowa City Youth Choir, under the direction of Beth Brown — bringing their voices to the hauntingly beautiful Snow scene and nearly 150 talented dancers under the direction of Loren Williams and Jere Hunt, who sacrifice their weekends for hours of rehearsals starting in August. From my vantage point, I see the faces of those who have progressed from a young dancer and baby mouse to a mature dancer pirouetting in their platter tutu, and I remember the faces of all the dancers who have come before. To witness this cycle each year is the true beauty of a tradition. It truly takes a village of people behind the scenes to pull this off each year: Parents who drive, feed, encourage, console and support their performers. Set builders, costume fitters, truck loaders and unloaders who have worked in wind, rain and snow in the middle of the night. The incredible Englert team that has been our partner since day one and makes the magic come together. For so many years, this was our week with The Englert’s house manager then operations director, Sarah Shonrock, and we miss her presence dearly. We have worked hard to bring the Iowa City community a professional tier production of this timeless holiday story for two decades, and with that effort has come the opportunity for our performers to experience performing with a professional stage crew … to a full house, show after show. For a handful of our students, this will be just the first of many such experiences. For others, this Nolte Academy production might be the experience of a lifetime. Regardless, the opportunity to be in a show like this is remarkable for all involved. I am humbled by the efforts of the dancers, directors, musicians, singers, actors, Englert team, volunteers and parents for making this all possible. My sincere appreciation also goes out to our audience, as you have rewarded this effort with your patronage and applause. We are fortunate to live in a wonderful and supportive community that understands the power of the arts to enrich our lives. Thank you for being with us this holiday season. My hope for you is to get lost in the story, the movement, the music and the moment. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season, and we hope to see you again as we build on this tradition for years to come. With immeasurable appreciation, Leslie Nolte
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