JOHN COFFELTEditor

When most people think Nashville, they may think music and dance, but in the fine arts community, the Nashville Ballet has made a name for itself for the sear quality of its dancers and choreographers.

Centerpiece of most all companies is the holiday favorite the Nutcracker.

Veteran Nashville Ballet dancer Kennedy Brown has been in seven seasons of shows.

“Nutcracker never really loses its sparkle, like its magic for me,” she said.

She started in “snow corps,” for the snow scene, where the Waltz of the Snowflakes takes the main characters (the Prince and Clara) from her Victorian home of Act I to the Land of the Sweets for Act II).

Of the many roles she dances in each production (doing across two different casts) Brown found her favorite in the Arabian dance.

In the Nashville Nutcracker the traditional Arabian dance or Coffee Dance in Balanchine’s version of the Nutcracker, is the Snake Lady, inspired by snake charmers who attended the 1897 Centennial Exposition that took place in Nashville.

It was a dream come true – a starry-eyed girl watching Chicago’ Joffrey Ballet and seeing one of the most sensual, emotional moments in the Nutcracker, Brown knew that is what she wanted to do.

“For some reason everyone though it was really weird. You don’t want to do (the famed) Sugar Plum?” Brown recalled others asking.

She has danced the dream role for four seasons.

“It’s been so special to live that and dance it on stage,” she said.

Brown said that watching the Nutcracker has given her joy and fulfillment since her youth.

“It gave me an amazing feeling to carry through the holiday season. To take on those roles and (now able to share the holiday magic is an honor,” Brown said.

It’s a responsibility, Brown said, to dive into each role, whether it’s a party scene parent or a lead character, and dance that role to the fullest.

“To put your whole heart into it, that’s what makes the person in the audience feel it. That little six, seven-year-old feel that happiness and (maybe inspire them) to accomplish those things that they are totally capable of accomplishing,” she said.

Brown charged young dancers to believe in themselves.

“You are more than capable of being that dancer on stage. There is nothing holding you back. If you want it, you are capable if you want it bad enough,” she said.

“It might seem like a dream sitting in the audience, but someday they are full capable of being that person on the stage making (the next generation) feel the way they feel,” Brown said.

Brown said that she finds a feeling of peace and freedom on stage.

“(Dancing) really is a freeing sensation. I find peace in the moments I’m doing what I love to do. Pasion completely takes over and it’s complete euphoria,” Brown said.

“It’s a shared experience, not only with the people in the audience, but onstage too. I find that super fulfilling and fun and not something that’s just about (me). It’s about every single person (in the theater).

“It’s a really beautiful thing to connect with people. I want to share that feeling,” Brown said.

Nashville Ballet Director of Sales and Marketing Eleanor Barbee Palmer noted that the company dancers shift through many roles through the 16 performances of the Nutcracker.

“She will dance multiple roles across the 16 shows,” Palmer said. “From afternoon to evening, from day to day, you really have to switch it up and do something different.”

Brown added how interesting it is to see what a fellow dancer brings to the role.

“There’s something to be said about having someone else take on that same role with a different approach and being able to see all those different personalities in that same role,” Brown said.

“As a Sugar Plum (for instance) each dancer is going to bring something different for the audience. I think that’s pretty spectacular,” Brown said.

Brown said that the Nashville Ballet is incredibly diverse, full of dancers with talent.

“Nashville Ballet is rapidly becoming one of the top artistic institutions in the country, and we owe a tremendous amount of that success to (retiring) long-time Artistic Director Paul Vasterling,” shared CEO and incoming Artistic Director Nick Mullikin in a public statement. “Over the last 34 years, he has built an organization that pushes boundaries, exceeds expectations, and inspires everyone to think bigger and do more. Because of him and his commitment to Nashville Ballet, we are going to be able to take this company to the next level. He has laid the foundation, and now we get to build upon it.”

The “Nashville’s Nutcracker runs Dec. 8-24 at the Tennessee Performing Arts Commission (TPAC)

Jackson Hall. It features original choreography by Artistic Director Emeritus, Paul Vasterling, live music by the Nashville Symphony and plenty of holiday magic for the whole family to enjoy.

Tickets will be available at nashvilleballet.com.

The Nashville Ballet is the largest ballet company in Tennessee. It is called the “the best Dance Production of 2022” by Broadway World Nashville.

John has been with the Manchester Times since May 2011. John has won Tennessee Press Association awards for Best News Photo and placed in numerous other categories. John is a 1994 graduate of Tullahoma High School, a graduate of Motlow State Community College and earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Middle Tennessee State University. He lives in Tullahoma, enjoys painting, dancing and exploring the outdoors.