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The oldest ballet school in New Orleans, Lelia Haller Ballet Classique is proud to present their company, Ballet Louisiane, in their new production of the dance classic, The Nutcracker based on the E.T.A. Hoffman story ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ with a score by Tchaikovsky. Lelia Haller was the first in New Orleans to begin the tradition of annual productions of this holiday classic, and for this year’s production the company has recruited some of the best-known award-winning stars in New Orleans theatre. Multiple award-winning actor/director/designer Edward R. Cox stars as Uncle Drosselmeyer, with Big Easy Award winners Scott ...Read More
The oldest ballet school in New Orleans, Lelia Haller Ballet Classique is proud to present their company, Ballet Louisiane, in their new production of the dance classic, The Nutcracker based on the E.T.A. Hoffman story ‘The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’ with a score by Tchaikovsky. Lelia Haller was the first in New Orleans to begin the tradition of annual productions of this holiday classic, and for this year’s production the company has recruited some of the best-known award-winning stars in New Orleans theatre. Multiple award-winning actor/director/designer Edward R. Cox stars as Uncle Drosselmeyer, with Big Easy Award winners Scott Sauber as The Nutcracker and Lara Grice as Mother Ginger.
Lindsey Lott dances the role of Clara, with Stephen Kernion as The Mouse King, Kim Beck as The Sugar Plum Fairy, Rachel Louder and Christian Delery as The Snow Queen & King, and Diogo De Lima as The Cavalier. Since 1928, thousands of New Orleans best dancers have enjoyed the unique teaching methods of Lelia Haller. The production features choreography by Ms. Haller’s daughter Bobbe Willard, Shannon Rodriguez, Joan Casey, Jennifer Hazelwood and Ann Yoder. Directed by Shannon Rodriguez & Joan Casey, with sets by Big Easy Award-winning designer David Raphael, lighting by Scott Sauber, and costumes by Joan Casey.
Lelia Haller founded her ballet school in 1928 after her years as a pedagogue with the Paris Opera Ballet and began the tradition of annual productions of The Nutcracker in New Orleans in the early 1950s. She was also the subject of a book, “Lelia: The Compleat Ballerina” by Harold George Scott, published by Pelican Press in 1975. Many of the city’s best known dancers studied under Lelia Haller and her unique techniques, including multiple Big Easy Award winning choreographer, actress, and reality TV star Karen Hebert, Broadway and film star Peter Gennaro, New Orleans dance legends Harvey Hysell, Tony Bevenetto, Ellen Hardeman, and Jay Kleindorf, nationally renowned choreographer Kirk Peterson, and international dance superstar Royes Fernandez, considered America’s first premiere danseur. Today, her children and grandchildren continue to run and work in the business, still using Ms. Haller’s distinctive educational style.
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