Dot gives ‘Nutcracker’ its Snow Queen

Coming soon to the Strand Theatre: Ashmont Hill’s own Elisabeth Scherer, Snow Queen in “The Nutcracker.” Photo by Karen WongThe ballerinas in “The Nutcracker” look so serene and otherworldly as they glide gracefully through their moves in their glittery tutus, but the backstage reality can a lot more hectic and stressful. Just ask Elisabeth Scherer, a former Dorchester resident who along with the rest of the José Mateo Ballet Theatre (JMBT) will be performing this Tchaikovsky holiday favorite at the Strand Theatre next week for six shows that hundreds of Dot residents will get to see for free.

Scherer, who grew up on Ashmont Hill, became a professional dancer right out of high school, joining the José Mateo company in 2002. Since then she has been featured in company repertory works like Sound Secrets, Danzones Balleticos, and Salome Dances for Peace.

In this neo-classical troupe of just 12 females and 4 males, dancers rotate through various principal parts and often take on multiple roles in a single performance. This multi-tasking can involve sacrifices. For example, Mark Kehlet Schou in the title role doesn’t get to take his curtain call in his Nutcracker Prince uniform because he ends the evening in a Russian dancer costume.

“When you have that many parts, it’s challenging and keeps you on your toes,” Scherer observes, “It seems like you’re always changing costumes and hair pieces, and running around the theater, but it’s fun. Once you get started, it’s like being on a roller coaster. The time seems to go by really fast when you have so many parts.”

Though in past seasons Scherer has danced the ballet’s showiest and most difficult part, the Sugar Plum Fairy, this time around she alternates between the Snow Queen, the Dew Drop Fairy and one of the Arabian dancers. Just last weekend a last-minute injury of another performer bumped her from Dew Drop into the role of the sinuous belly-dancer in the Coffee Divertissement.

But Scherer seems to thrive on the demands for physical and psychological flexibility. “Part of the beauty of live theater is that you never know until the last minute. You could be asked to do a multitude of things. You have to be ready for anything and prepared to do it all at once.”

Another part she has been playing this season is Mrs. Silberhaus, the hostess of the Act I Christmas Eve party and the mother of the central child character Clara.

Though there’s more mime and movement than real dance required for Mrs. Silberhaus, the role presents its own challenges, especially since she interacts with her boss, company founder/director/choreographer, the Cuban-born José Mateo, who stars as the kindly magician Dr. Drosselmeyer. “It’s an acting role with a lot of specific cues,” says Scherer. “It’s fun to create a relationship with the different young dancers who play Clara.”

And among those young dancers who will joining the adult cast at Strand are the following Dot residents: Samantha Murphy (mouse), Tom Gillis (party boy), ClementineChesterman (Polichinelle), Taya Smith (soldier) and Byrianna Hall-Carter (soldier).

Adding to the pressure is the fact that Jose Mateo’s “The Nutcracker”, which has never appeared at the Strand before, will be coming off a demanding run that began with Thanksgiving weekend performances at the Duxbury Performing Arts Center, followed by three weeks at their home base, the Sanctuary Theatre in the Old Cambridge Baptist Church.

“We usually just have one day in the different venues before we perform.” Scherer notes. “You have to space each step out for the size of the new stage and figure out which wings you’re going to enter and exit from. You have to be careful of all those stagehands.”

This visit to Uphams Corner is part of Mateo’s Dance for World Community, a project that builds local and global networks to expand the role of dance in our culture. Thanks to the Mayor’s Office of Arts, Tourism and Special Events and the Boston Globe Santa, the company is working with 48 Boston social services agencies to offer 1,000 free tickets to children and families most in need. Among the Dot groups invited are Codman Academy, Washington Heights Tenants’ Association, Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts, Sportsmen’s Tennis and Enrichment Center, Quincy Geneva Housing, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Dorchester.

There will be three 10 a.m. school performances on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The three shows open to the public all start early: Thursday, Dec. 22 at 6:30 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 23 at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. Tickets run between $15 and $50. To reserve seats call 617-354-7467 or go to ballettheatre.org.