Christmas will come a little early for members of the Cascades Senior Center.
Tuesday, Nov. 14, students from the Creative Dance Center will perform excerpts from its production of a holiday classic at the senior center.
"We thought it would be a great intergenerational activity," Erik Onate from the center said. "And we like to give [our members] a little extra holiday fair."
Students from the Creative Dance Center will perform pieces of the second act of the studio's show "The Nutcracker in a Shell: All Jazzed Up," artistic director Geralyn Ward said.
"The children will be dancing ballet, tap, jazz and modern dance," she said.
The decision to hold a free performance at the center came after the studio's owner, Ramona Batchelder, had been taking her mother to the Cascades Senior Center every day. Batchelder and Onate began talking about bringing a dance performance to the center.
"We've been wanting to take [our students] to a senior center for a while," Ward said. "It is a really good way to give back to the community."
Members of the senior center will be able to watch many of the small group dances and solos from the second act of "The Nutcracker," including the Russian, Chinese, Arabian and Spanish dances. The Sugar Plum Fairy will also perform her solo along with a pas de duex by Clara and her Nutcracker.
"It will really be a working rehearsal with an audience," Onate said. "But we know that anything they bring will be wonderful."
Both Onate and members of the Creative Dance Center hope to make the performance at the senior center an annual event.
"It is really something we would like to continue to do," Ward said. "I think it is good for the kids to get out into the community."
"It's really nice to have the kids there," Onate said. "Especially around the holidays."