During the second weekend of December, Dixon Elementary presented its annual Nutcracker performance. The students performed once for the school on December 12th and three times for family and friends on the 12th and the 13th. The Dixon Nutcracker has become a beloved winter tradition within the Elmbrook community not only because it showcases the talent and dedication of the young dancers, but also because it is always student-led. High school and middle school students volunteer to do everything from organizing the schedule to teaching the choreography. This year, Brookfield Central junior Jordin Sun directed the performance.
Jordin is a Dixon Elementary alumna and has been involved with the Dixon Nutcracker since she was in kindergarten; she participated as a dancer during her elementary years, then became a volunteer teacher during middle school. Jordin’s extensive dance experience helped bring the show to life, while her strong organizational skills enabled her to manage the technical aspects of the show. With 157 Dixon students involved, directing proved to be an arduous task from the start. Jordin explains, “the audition process was very tough. It was really time consuming to sort everyone into groups, and I really had to rely on the other teachers to do their part so I could focus on evaluating the dancers.” Jordin had other volunteers teach combos to the Dixon students, then she and two other volunteers watched, took notes, and placed each student in a certain group. After the groups were formed, Jordin prepared the rehearsal schedule and designated teachers to come up with choreography and teach it to the students.
After the roles had been assigned and the students had begun to learn their dances, Jordin turned her attention toward preparing other important components of the show such as ticketing, getting a videographer, and ordering the costumes. She called the costumes the biggest challenge of directing the show. She elaborates, “there was a mix-up with the person we ordered the costumes from. It was mostly a communication issue, but it happened pretty close to the actual performance which was really stressful.” As a busy student balancing school and other extracurriculars such as her own dancing, Jordin greatly appreciated having others help lighten the load. She notes that her mom helped a lot with keeping track of data, and the other volunteer teachers and the parents of the elementary students all worked to ensure the students knew their dances and were prepared to perform.
The Dixon Nutcracker is also always a fundraiser. All proceeds go toward the Fisher House, which is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing a relaxed home-environment where veteran families can stay while a loved one is in the hospital. Jordin admires the work of the organization, and says “the idea of providing a home away from home so families can be physically comfortable while possibly going through something mentally stressful is a really great cause. I’m glad to be part of something that benefits it.” Last year, the show raised $10,043.85 for the Fisher House. This is one major benefit of the show being student-led; the students volunteering their time and effort allows for the money to go towards a cause as great as the Fisher House.
Jordin is planning on directing again next year. She lists “ordering costuming sooner, not procrastinating, and communicating more with the whole team” as a few things that she would like to do differently. Despite a few hiccups along the way, all four shows were outstanding. Jordin describes the overall response as “extremely positive,” as all the elementary students seemed proud and multiple happy parents complimented Jordin and the team for their hard work. As evidenced by the incredible leadership of Jordin this winter, next year’s performance is sure to be another resounding success.
