Two Columbia girls will be sharing the lead role in a traditional ballet performance of “The Nutcracker” the next two weekends.
Myers Foxworth and Cooper Smith will help bring the magic and wonder of Christmas to life as Clara in the South Mississippi Ballet Theatre’s annual production.
Smith is the 11-year-old daughter of Summer and Chris Smith. She is in sixth grade at Benedict Day School, where she is on the tennis team and the Beta Club. Cooper has studied ballet for seven years and has danced in Swan Lake, Hansel and Gretel, Esmeralda, Coppelia and Cinderella, and this will be her seventh Nutcracker performance.
“The Nutcracker is one of my favorite ballets, and it makes me know that Christmas is right around the corner,” she said.
Foxworth is the 13-year-old daughter of Allison and Drew Foxworth. She is a seventh grader at Benedict Day School, where she is a member of the Beta Club. She has studied ballet at South Mississippi Ballet Theatre for six years. In addition to the Nutcracker, she has performed in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Esmeralda and Cinderella.
“I really enjoy getting to have this great experience of being in Nutcracker and dancing with my friends. I love seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces after the performance,” Foxworth said.
Performances are at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Brownstone Center for the Arts at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville.
They will perform again the following weekend at 7 p.m. Dec. 14, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 15 and 2 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Mannoni Performing Arts Center on the Southern Miss campus.
“The Nutcracker is the perfect ballet for ballet first timers and ballet aficionados alike,” said Katya Orohovsky, director.
This classic tale follows young Clara on a dreamlike journey that begins at a festive Christmas party in her home and leads her to a Nutcracker Prince who takes her to the spectacular Land of Sweets. Frolicking Snow Flakes, an enchanting Sugar Plum Fairy and a cast of dancing treats add to the allure.
Clara will be played by both Foxworth and Smith in the performances. In addition to dancing in the role of Clara, Smith will also dance as Party Girl, Snow, Arabian Attendant and Waltz of the Flowers, and Foxworth will be also dancing in the role of Clara, and will dance in the role of Fritz, Party Girl, Snow, Arabian Attendant and Waltz of the Flowers.
Foxworth has participated in Youth America Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018. She has attended the Prague International Ballet intensive and the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive programs. She attends First United Methodist Church in Columbia, where she is active in the youth program. She enjoys playing softball and tennis, traveling, concerts, singing with her father, and going to Ole Miss games with her big brothers, Nathan and Harrison, when not rehearsing for the Nutcracker.
Smith and her partner, Alexei Orohovsky, were awarded first place in the 2018 Youth America Grand Prix Semi-Finals in the Pas de deux competition. They also competed in the YAGP Finals in New York in 2017 and 2018. She attended the Prague International Ballet intensive and the Bolshoi Ballet Summer Intensive programs. She attends First Baptist Church of Columbia. Cooper loves dancing, traveling, watching YouTube, tennis, softball and playing with her friends.
Tickets for performances at USM can be purchased at the university box office by calling 1-800-844-TICK or at www.southernmisstickets.com.
Tickets for the performances at PRCC may be purchased by calling (601) 403-1180 or by visiting www.brownpapertickets.com/ and entering Nutcracker Brownstone.
Pictured Above: Myers Foxworth, left, and Cooper Smith will be performing in the lead role as Clara in the South Mississippi Ballet Theatre’s production of “The Nutcracker” this weekend and next in Poplarville and Hattiesburg.
