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Nutcracker Letter
From the 2006 programme for The Nutcracker
Dear Friends of Kittiwake:
Welcome to Kittiwake Dance Theatre's 20th production of THE NUTCRACKER. We have come a long way since those first years at the LSPU Hall when we had as many as four casts and did fourteen performances in a period of two weeks. As audiences grew we moved to the Reid Theatre and in 2000, we moved to the Arts & Culture Centre where we have remained ever since.
We estimate that nearly 2000 people have performed in our productions of The Nutcracker in this 20 year period. A couple of years ago we celebrated Margaret Hitchens' 100th performance as AGranny@. Gerard Hayes has played the role of “Father” for the past eighteen years and now has reached his 100th performance.
Richard Stoker, our technical director since the beginning, has an incredible record of having worked on every production including those in the spring and summer, indoors and out.
While we have changed theatres, sets and costumes over the years, the biggest change has been in the technical level of the dancers performing with us. Thanks to the many fine dance schools in the area, we have come a long way.
We also acknowledge the support we have had from both The National Ballet School and The National Ballet of Canada for supplying us with Sugar Plum Fairies and Cavaliers for eighteen of our twenty years.
With an anniversary come changes and there will be some major ones for Kittiwake Dance Theatre as it enters its twenty-first year. I am happy to announce that Martin Vallee and his wife Jennifer Foley will be taking over the artistic direction of the company. We have worked together for nearly ten years and during that time I have developed the greatest respect for their talents, dedication and love of dance.
As I move on to the next phase of my career, I would like to thank those who have been such an important part of this dance community: the dancers, the board members, the media, the technical crews, box office staff and administrators of the many theatres we've performed in, the many volunteers who have spent countless hours rolling pennies, making fudge and other activities too numerous to mention, the parents who have seen to it that their children have arrived at rehearsals on time. The list is endless and each and every one of you has provided me with great memories which I shall take with me and cherish.
Kittiwake Dance Theatre would not have been possible were it not for the many people who support us. These are the people who have helped us this year. To them, our many thanks.
My thanks to you also, for being members of the audience, for without you, there would be no one with whom to share our stories, thoughts and ideas.
Sincerely,
Linda L. Rimsay
KDT Founding Artistic Director
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