
Ten-year-old Sartell dancer Tierney Hammer was among 30 local youth and adult dancers who joined the professional cast of the Minnesota Ballet with the full College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University Orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score “The Nutcracker,” Dec.14 at the Escher Auditorium on the CSB campus. Tierney was cast in the primary role of Clara. She is a dancer with Company North Crest. The dancers rehearsed under the direction of local ballet instructors Ana Freire and Erika Jaguiella. “The Nutcracker” is a timeless ballet that tells the story of Clara and her Nutcracker Prince as they embark on a thrilling adventure to the Land of Sweets, dancing with the Sugar Plum Fairy and fighting the menacing Mouse King. Set in turn-of-the-20th-century Manhattan, this production features remarkable dancing, dazzling costumes and larger-than-life staging. Other Sartell dancers who performed include the following: Alyssa, Andrew and James Brennhofer; Elliott Hammer; Briehyn and Taya Lewandowski; and Makayla and Taylor Pearson.

Sartell residents Tierney Hammer and her brother Elliott were among 30 local youth and adult dancers who joined the professional cast of the Minnesota Ballet with the full College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University Orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score “The Nutcracker,” Dec.14 at the Escher Auditorium on the CSB campus.

Taya Lewandowski of Sartell, Tierney Hammer of Sartell, Olivia Tadych of Sauk Rapids, Naveah Toenyan of Sauk Rapids and Briehyn Lewandowski of Sartell on the set of the Minnesota Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph.