"Mother Ginger" (Chantee Santiago) and four of the Gingerbread Children.
Enlarge Photo

It is that time of year when many productions of The Nutcracker Ballet are presented throughout the world both professionally and in schools by aspiring dancers. What is seen on stage today is different in detail from the original story, however, the basic plot remains the same. The Nutcracker Ballet is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice” written by E.T.A. Hoffman. The story is of a young German girl who dreams of a Nutcracker Prince and a fierce battle against a Mouse King with seven heads.

I must say I have many fond memories of my daughter Julia performing in Nutcracker Ballet productions during the ten, or so years, she was a student of Jill Johnson at her Jill Johnson's Dance Studio in Santa Paula. I even played Drosselmeyer, the clock and toy maker, in one production at the urging of Julia! So when my wife Carolyn called me today and excitedly told me that Fillmore's own Chantee (Campos) Santiago, another student of Jill Johnson, had produced The Nutcracker Ballet at Mountain Vista Elementary School in Fillmore, and that there would be a 10:30 am performance (in about 20 minutes), and could I come and not only watch it but write an article for the Fillmore Gazette I could hardly resist the offer!

Chantee (Campos) Santiago is the Program Director for “Bridges” an after school program offered at no cost to approximately one hundred Kinder-5th Grade students of Mountain Vista Elementary School. Mrs. Santiago told me that the program provides instruction in physical education, art and dancing to these students in the after school program. Well of course dance! Chantee was a serious dancer herself for about ten years with Jill Johnson's Dance Studio and participated in many of The Nutcracker Ballet productions.

Mrs. Santiago said that for approximately three and one half months thirty-five of the Bridges students have been working hard on this production of The Nutcracker Ballet. She also told me that all Mountain Vista students, while in the First Grade, see The Nutcracker Ballet performed in Oxnard at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center and all are familiar with the story line. Assisting Mrs. Santiago were her staff Nicole Acosta, Brittany Holmes, Thalia Alcaraz, Kayla Costa and Kianna Tarango. Sheila Campos, Chantee's mother, made all the set props and costumes worn by the performers.

In the back of the audience I saw a smiling familiar face, Joe Campos, Chantee's father. In a conversation I had with with him we both said we become emotional when we think back to all the performances of The Nutcracker Ballet we attended for our daughters over the years. Watching this production of The Nutcracker Ballet also made me think how important exposing young children to the arts are for their futures as adults. Watching Chantee guide these young minds through dancing just brought it full circle for me! Great job Chantee for your leadership and to all of your staff and the young performers who truly did The Nutcracker Ballet proud!

The Art You Great art program will hold their annual art show on June 3rd in the E Hallway of Mountain Vista School, 5:30-6:30 pm. The art show is part of Mountain Vista School’s spring open house. This year, Mountain Vista students studied the art and culture of Japan. On display will be over 500 Koi-Nobori, carp-shaped windsocks flying over the school grounds. Each student decorated a Koi-Nobori in honor of Children’s Day, a Japanese springtime holiday. Other art projects include studies of cherry blossom trees, origami, Sumi-e (ink painting), and ink block prints. Mountain Vista’s Art You Great program is directed by art consultant Tressa Saviers.

Luke Myers, a fifth grader at Mountain Vista, will be representing the Santa Paula and Fillmore areas in the County Spelling Bee. Luke won on a class and school level. He then went on to the area bee and competed against 15 other students ranging from 4th to 8th grade. His winning word was “miraculous.”

When asked what he will do to prepare for the County Bee, Luke shared his plan. He will continue to study hard. He is working on languages of origins and learning the different prefixes and suffixes from the various languages. He reads them, writes them, sorts them and records them onto tapes so he can listen to them at night. He tries to find smaller words that are in many of the bigger words. He also likes to remember them in funny and familiar ways. Competitions with his mom keeps it fun.

He and Devon Leon from Glen City School will be going on to the County Spelling Bee on March 8th at CSUCI. The winner of that competition will go on to Washington D.C. to compete in the Scripps National spelling Bee.