’Tis the season, as it were, for holiday traditions of all sorts. Along with Christmas trees and holiday parties, around here, one of the sure signs the season is truly here is Charlotte Ballet’s Nutcracker. And with a much talked-about $1 million gift from the McColl family, there’s an all-new look and feel to this traditional holiday production.
“Choreographer Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux has collaborated with a world-renowned design team to re-imagine his Nutcracker production,” said Logan McSwain Evans, director of marketing and communications for Charlotte Ballet.
Since 2006, Charlotte Ballet has performed Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux’s version of Nutcracker using sets and costumes purchased from other companies. This new production of Nutcracker was created especially for Charlotte Ballet and Charlotte audiences. The McColl family gift in honor of Jane Spratt McColl, Evans said, means the Nutcracker will be enjoyed around here for many years to come.
The business of promoting Charlotte Ballet and the Nutcracker isn’t all about costumes, sets, and artists. Evans grew up studying dance and journalism. A love of storytelling, she said, made working for Charlotte Ballet a perfect fit.
“I knew I wanted a career working in the arts,” she said, “it was the ideal combination of my passion for dance and background in communications.”
But the best part about the job isn’t the multi-million dollar productions or the star-studded events, but the constant source of inspiration that’s always around her.
“It’s the people! I’m energized not only by the people I work with, but also the people we reach through our performances and programs,” Evans said. “I work with incredibly talented artists and arts administrators. There’s literally always something being created in our building – a ballet, a costume, a blog post, a set, an outreach program, a promo video.”
Evans said the there’s lots to be excited about as the Charlotte arts community continues to grow, and hopes we see more collaboration between established arts organizations and emerging local artists.
North Carolina Dance Theatre changed its name to Charlotte Ballet in 2014. With that name change, branded merchandise and apparel from The Dunstan Group were a large part of their awareness and branding efforts. Since then, The Dunstan Group has continued to stay in step with Charlotte Ballet’s marketing needs, providing apparel, product, and photo backdrops for events, and much more to connect the Charlotte Ballet brand with it’s productions and audience.
“I really love connecting audience members to the ballet,” she added. “When audience members experience ballet for the first time or are really moved by what they saw on stage – those are the moments I love.”
Ready to get creative? We know all the moves! Collaboration begins with just a phone call or email to The Dunstan Group.