Première of The Dragon

Rehearsals, Performance,
& The Dragon Master

An inspired idea for transforming
The Nutcracker's Chinese Dance,
Kevin Myers' notion of adding an authentic parade dragon in 2010 has turned out to be a huge hit! Just locating the proper dragon and getting it here from China was a saga in and of itself. Our new friend arrived at over 60-feet long, TOO big for the stage at Bridges Auditorium. Once truncated, it worked beautifully at 42 feet. Our new star is attended by six devoted dancers and one strong head-pole puppeteer. But the key to this dance's success was our great fortune in meeting Kin Lam, an experienced parade dancer with a gift for teaching and a serious devotion to the craft. Thanks to his generous service and hours of rehearsal with our choreographers and the tireless young troupe of plucky polers, Inland Pacific Ballet has a new favorite in the continuing parade of twists and turns in our ever-improving, ever-evolving Nutcracker.