Submitted by Emily McMason for Studio West Dance Academy
Russia, France, Turkey, Australia, Brazil, Thailand, Poland, England, and Olympia. Olympia? Our sweet OlyWa? Yes. Dancer Joseph Jefferies has performed professionally in 25 countries all over the globe, and mid-December he will be here, on stage, as the Cavalier in Studio West Dance Academy’s production of The Nutcracker.
Why Olympia? Jefferies danced for years with Studio West’s co-owner Stephanie Wood at Ballet Memphis. An Olympia native, as is her business partner M.C. Zechmann, Wood returned home when she retired from life as a professional ballerina. And her professional life has followed her here. “Dancing for Stephanie is fabulous. She has an incredible sense of musicality and choreography that allows the music to tell the story. Whenever we would get to work together in the ballet company, it was easy, it was comfortable. There was good rapport there.” says Jefferies.
His time in Olympia in early November wasn’t only spent rehearsing The Nutcracker. Jefferies is also the studio’s guest choreographer, creating a piece that the most advanced students will perform in the spring. Because he is here for such a limited time, every moment counts. Auditions were held late on a Friday and by mid-day Saturday rehearsing began. The troupe of sixteen huddled around as Jefferies explained his vision for the piece. They were nervous, but he quickly put them at ease with a relaxed manner, warm laugh, and quick assimilation of their names. The dancers were sharp and focused, eyes bright, minds quickly absorbing the technical details and artistic nuances he provided. It is both Master Class and rehearsal, and that duality is not lost on any of these teenage ballerinas. When auditioning dancers he says,“I’m not looking for perfect technique. I’m looking for someone who is going to go for it, who is going to take a risk. I’m looking for someone who is valuable. Someone I can begin to mold. Actually, I love it when I see someone who wants to give more, they are hungry for it, but they don’t quite know how to connect it. So if I can help them think about their dance in a new way through my choreography, that’s my favorite thing.”
Jefferies has danced the lead in many ballets, including Swan Lake, Giselle, Coppelia, and Cinderella. The excitement in dancing a traditional role like that of the Cavalier, who some may know as the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Prince, is the awareness that the audience includes those who have never attended a ballet before. Coming to the ballet can seem intimidating for some. Jefferies advice? “Come with an open mind. You don’t have to know anything about ballet to enjoy it. The Nutcracker is very accessible. The whole point of technique is to make it so that the audience doesn’t know how difficult it is. If it looks really easy it means the dancer is doing a really good job. Come enjoy the music and the costumes and the sets. The story is animated, it is fun. And I bet you’ll know more of the music than you realize. There is a reason it has become a huge holiday tradition in the states. I’ve been doing Nutcracker since I was 10, and I still love it. I still get excited when I hear the music.”
The highlight of the Cavalier’s dance includes the Pas de Deux with the Sugar Plum Fairy. This is the second year that Studio West’s own ballerinas are dancing this incredibly technical role. Says Jefferies of dancing with a ballerina “One of my favorite things to do is to partner. I love it. I really enjoy that aspect of creating something more. There is that third entity on stage – which is the ballerina and her partner creating something together. When we come together my focus is all on making her look good. And being present with her- trying to breathe with her, feel the music with her, trying to pick up on all those little signals her body is giving me. ‘I’m slightly off here or tense here.’ There are things I can do to say, ‘I’m here. Relax. I’ve got you.’ Non-verbal cues- whether it’s a little more support on one side or a softening of a plie. I like doing that. It is so exciting to be here for these girls and their first professional partnering experience. It’s really rewarding for me to support a student as she partners for the first time.”
When watching Jefferies rehearse with the two young dancers (sharing the role of Sugar Plum Fairy) you can see all that he has described in fluid motion. There is a moment when teenage ballerinas Elizabeth Harrington and Nicole Carson each shift their focus, extend it, and become more. His. Hers. Theirs. And then, in a flash the pair looks up to the audience and we become a part of it as well. Ours.
So come and be a part of this beautiful, exciting, breathing-taking production of The Nutcracker. The ballet runs for five shows December 14-16 at SPSCC’s Minnaert Center. Tickets are on sale under ‘Studio West Dance Theatre’s The Nutcracker’ at olytix.org.
