When I was 16, I saw my first ballet.  I’d joined a community chorus and the group made a pilgrimage to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center during its summer season to see Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. 

Enjoy the magical holiday tale of the Nutcracker who comes to life!

The performance entranced me.  I remember where I was sitting and what I wore.  I recall holding my breath during some of the more spectacular dance scenes and the exhileration I felt when the music swelled from one movement to the next, taking me on an epic journey.  No matter how often I see The Nutcracker, the magic never wears off.

In prior years, our family has always been away for the Friday through Sunday following Thanksgiving, the weekend when The Nutcracker is traditionally performed by the award-winning Rochester Philharmonic Orchester (directed by Michael Butterman) and the renowned  Rochester City Ballet (under the artistic direction of Jamey Leverett). This year’s performance will also feature the Bach Children’s Chorus (in residence at Nazareth College, directed by Karla Krogstad) and will include performances by guest artists from some of the top ballet companies in the U.S. and by over 150 community children.

I was delighted to see that, in a year that has put pressure on many family’s budgets, the RPO and Rochester City Ballet have joined forces to make this delightful tale of the Nutcracker who comes to life more accessible to families by offering special children’s pricing.  Children’s tickets start as low as $10!  And anyone who is already an RPO member is entitled to special discounted “add-on pricing” to their normal subscription season, with tickets starting at $15.

The Nutcracker will be performed Friday through Sunday, November 27 through 29 at 2 PM and 7  PM at the Easman Theater located at 25 Gibbs Street Rochester, NY.

To purchase your tickets to the Nutcracker, CLICK HERE or visit any Wegmans “That’s T.H.E. Ticket” office.

P.S. By the way, if you and your little ones would like to “Get Ready for the Nutcracker,” join the Rochester City Ballet at Strong National Museum of Play on Wednesday, November 11 from 12PM-4PM for an afternoon of music, storytelling and dance, included with Strong National Museum of Play Admission.

Photos courtesy of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Rochester City Ballet.

 If you’ve enjoyed this post, you may also want to read Strong National Museum of Play – Rochester, NY

When I lived in Sleepy Hollow, NY, I belonged to a quilting club. As I went month after month, I loved seeing the quilts unfold, fruits of the imagination of this talented group of women. 

"Mummy Bags" by Pat Pauly of Pittsford, NY

It was fascinating how each block of fabric was added with the common threads of our lives.  All of the pieces sown on one night might contain tales of our children’s challenges at school;  on another night, the woes of having husbands out of town;  yet another night, the joys or ambivalence of parents coming for the holidays pieced the quilts together.  These stories tied us together with laughter, compassion and friendship… building blocks in the quilts of our own lives.

"Leaves II" by Joann Golenia of Venice, FL.

I watched with fascination, seeing scraps of fabric morph into masterpiece, to be showcased on baby cribs, family beds, tables and walls…tomorrow’s heirlooms in the making.

Throughout history, this communal aspect has added to quilting’s magic.  It is this legacy from which the show Quilts=Art=Quilts was born.  Yet this show, that runs from November 1, 2009 to January 10, 2010 and that is now in its 29th year at the Schweinfurth Memorial Arts Center in Auburn, NY, takes quilting to a new zenith.

"Chutes and Ladders" by Leslie Joan Roliey, Skokie, IL

With close to 70 regional, national and international 70 artists exhibiting from as far away as Japan, Israel and Austrailia, you can see quilting done in every style, medium and color palate, pushing the creative borders on what can be crafted in this visual art form.

In addition to the exhibit, there are also the following special events being held in conjunction with the show:

• 11/6-11/8 – 3-Day Quilting by the Lake Workshop: Just Bead It - With artist Betsy Herschberg
• 11/13-11/15 – 3-Day Quilting by the Lake Workshop: Nuno Collage – With artist Cher Benda
• 11/22 – Trunk Show with Rochester Area Fiber Artists (RAFA) 2 p.m.  Their work celebrates the visual feast inherent in using fibers with surface ornamentation, mind-boggling piecework, and painting as well as printmaking.
• 11/29 – Trunk Show with artist Christine Wickert  2 p.m. Chris now designs many of her own original pieces, with hand appliqué and hand quilting continuing to be her favorite techniques and defining her style.
• 12/6 – Trunk Show with artist Aafke Steenhuis 2 p.m. Aafke designs her own colorfol quilts, although she still makes traditional quilts now and then.
• 12/13 – Trunk show with artist Pat Pauly 2 p.m. Known for her improvisational technique, Pat uses bold color and unusual juxtapositions of printed and painted fabric in her work.
• 12/13 – Holiday Traditions 2-5 p.m. Annual holiday open house at Auburn’s historic & cultural sites including the Art Center. FREE admission.
• 12/20 – Trunk show with artist Judy Sheridan 2 p.m. Judy is noted for her fine hand appliqué, precise machine piecing and hand quilting.

"Purple Sunset" by Marcia DeCamp, Palmyra, NY

The Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center is located at 205 Genesee Street, Auburn, NY and is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10a.m.-5p.m., Sunday, 1-5p.m.  Closed Mondays & major holidays.
Closing at 3p.m. Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve.  Admission is $6.  Free for Members, exhibiting quilters and children under 12.

If you enjoyed this article, you might enjoy Liberty Cottage, A Haven for Handwork Artists (and Quilters).

Photos courtesy of Schweinfurth Memorial Arts Center.