Goh Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ returns to Vancouver

A classic Christmas ballet is returning to Vancouver for its first in person performances in two years, and one ballerina is hoping to inspire others to follow their dreams.

The Nutcracker Ballet by the Goh Ballet Academy is set to run from December 15 to 18, and this year, the show has an exciting change.

Theepika Sivananthan is an 11-year-old who is dancing in the starring role as Clara.

Theepika Sivananthan is an 11-year-old who is dancing in the starring role as Clara. (Angela Bower/CityNews)

“I am very happy that I get to be the first-ever South Asian Clara in Canada,” she said.

“I feel like other kids…will want to follow in my footsteps, and have the courage to dance.”

Sivananthan says dancing is her passion, and she can’t wait to leave her mark on the stage.

According to the Nutcracker Prince, Matthew Jordan, performers practice six times weekly.

A mask used in The Nutcracker ballet. (Angela Bower/CityNews)

However, with the grueling practice and performance schedules, he says, there is an important key for getting though the season.

“You really just have to love it, because it definitely isn’t easy physically to get through it all. You have to take care of your body, and make sure you do all your stretching in the weeks leading up, so you can get through all the shows,” he explained.

But although the schedule is taxing, Sivananthan says she is very excited about the performance.

Ballerina’s practice in costume for The Nutcracker Ballet. (Angela Bower/CityNews)

The studio has been performing the beloved ballet for over a decade, and features dancers young and old.

“Our little mice are the youngest, and they are six years old, and they literally steal the show every time,” Chan Hon Goh, the executive producer for the ballet said.

Goh says that she first started the ballet in Vancouver after retiring from the National Ballet of Canada.

Theepika Sivananthan is an 11-year-old who is dancing in the starring role as Clara. (Angela Bower/CityNews)

“I really wanted to do something meaningful for the city, and Vancouver [didn’t] have its own Nutcracker,” Goh explained.

“It was something very meaningful for the city and for children to grow up with.”