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Community production of ‘The Nutcracker’ marks 20th anniversary

Barbara J. Perenic Ohio Performing Arts Institute will present “The Nutcracker” Friday and Saturday at Kuss Auditorium.

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By Andrew McGinn, Staff Writer Updated 10:43 PM Thursday, December 17, 2009

SPRINGFIELD — Dance, local arts groups insist, is a hard sell in Springfield.

So 20 Decembers ago, when dance teacher Scot Davidge floated the idea of a community production of “The Nutcracker,” the odds weren’t just against him.

The odds hated him.

“No one in Springfield thought I could do this,” he confessed.

Think about it.

If people in Springfield don’t like seeing dance, what made him think he could get people in Springfield to dance?

Not just any kind of dance.

Ballet.

In theory, he would’ve been better off asking Springfielders to come up with a plan for world peace, to find a cure for albino dwarfism or to invent a practical method of time travel.

In reality, never bet against a former U.S. Marine.

“Real men,” Davidge said, “wear tights.”

Dude’s right.

Davidge’s group, Ohio Performing Arts Institute, will open its 20th annual community production of “The Nutcracker” Friday, Dec. 18, in Kuss Auditorium with guys like Joe Fitzwater proudly, defiantly, performing ballet.

This year’s cast tops out at 175.

This will mark the 14th “Nutcracker” for Fitzwater, a now-retired electrician.

“The ribbing I took the first year or two,” he said, “was a little rugged. They called me ‘Joe Tutu’ for a while.”

He joined the show at the request of his daughter Ryanne, then age 6, who was taking dance lessons at OPAI.

He’d never danced before.

“The lady I was dancing with,” Fitzwater said, “told me which way to go. After the first time, it was a lot of fun. It’s a good start to Christmas.”

It’s become a tradition, and that’s exactly what Davidge was after, first in the former Marketplace, then North High and then, in 1996, Kuss Auditorium. (He actually hawked his van in order to get his troupe onto the fancier stage.)

“Big dance companies are all about the dance,” Davidge, 60, said. “We are, too. The second act is all our best dancers. But I do the story. The story is what it’s all about.”

For Fitzwater, it was all about spending time with his daughter.

“It has been well worth the time spent,” he said. “A lot of dads should go dancing with their daughters.”

He’s so smitten with Tchaikovsky, he even got a tattoo of the mouse king.

Just don’t call him a dancer.

“I’m not a ballet dancer,” he said. “I’m just a guy.”

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.

How to go

What: “The Nutcracker”

When: 8 p.m. Dec. 18-19

Where: Kuss Auditorium

Tickets: $20 and $22 adults, $18 and $20 students and seniors; call (937) 328-3874.

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I think its sad that SV school chose to go to Columbus to watch the Nutcracker instead of supporting their local community performance of the Nutcracker.

Sad
9:48 PM, 12/20/2009

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I don't think people realize just how hard these dancers work, or what tremendous athletes they are. Scot has trained some of the most beautiful dancers Springfield has seen. He has created life-long dancers, because some of them return and dance as adults when their own children grow up. It's refreshing to see young people participate in the arts. Springfield, it's not always about sports.

OPAI fan
3:26 PM, 12/19/2009

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"Real Men" may wear tights or military fatigues, too--just not at the same time (usually anyway). Merry Christmas.

Keep Dancing
6:47 PM, 12/18/2009

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OPAI - what a wonderful asset for our community. Davidge has a wonderful dance troup that includes people with all levels of talent, not just the top dancers (...and they do have some very good dancers!) My girls dance with OPAI and love it. Thanks to Scot and all for helping our community LOVE dance!

Pam
6:02 PM, 12/18/2009

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