Making Spirits Bright is a fantasy of dance to be performed on Saturday, Dec. 12, at 3 p.m. at the Jeanne Rimsky Theatre at the Landmark on Main Street. This show, directed by Olga Berest of the Berest Dance Center, has a cast of children ages 5 through 18, and will delight the audience with a holiday theme that embraces a child’s world. Angels, toys, elves, reindeer, rockettes and a hip-hop Santa come alive. Even the children in the audience have an opportunity to dance. Berest will invite boys and girls to join her on stage as she creates the Nutcrackers’ battle of mice and soldiers during intermission.
Weeks of preparation go into the show. Berest said, “80 dancers take rehearsal classes for 10 weeks. Classes are according to age and level and each class is up to two hours long. Each class learns two or three dances. Being in our show requires a huge time commitment for dancers and parents who have to make sure they have transportation to and from the rehearsals every week.”
The extravagant costumes are as gorgeous as you would see at Lincoln Center. “Who hasn’t dreamed of being an angel or in a Santa’s reindeer kickline,” said Berest.
Berest continued, “At the final rehearsal the weekend before the show, 80 dancers come together for the first time to assemble the acts. It’s magical, even after so many years.”
The spirit of giving has been a tradition with Making Spirits Bright for years. Since 1994, the Berest families have brought new, unwrapped toys to the Berest show. Thousands of toys have been given to charities over the years and the Landmark’s own Children Center is a recent recipient.
To purchase tickets to Making Spirits Bright online go to www.berestdance.com or call 516-944-6687.
