On the evening of Dec. 12, the Beachwood Orchestra performed their winter concert in the BHS auditorium. They performed excerpts from The Nutcracker, with several songs accompanied by dancers from Cleveland City Dance.
The scene before the show was very lively; the audience chatted among themselves, as did the people in the orchestra. You could hear laughter, small talk and the sound of instruments being tuned.
After a while, BHS student Bingqing Hu, the concert mistress, came up to the podium to tune the orchestra. They then started playing.
The first song was called “The Nutcracker in Three Minutes.” It included a few different tunes from the Nutcracker ballet.
After the first song, Beachwood Orchestra teacher Lisa Goldman walked to the microphone.
Apparently, the microphone wasn’t working, so after a few futile adjustments, Goldman decided to speak without the mic, to the friendly laughter of the audience. Her voice was loud and resonant; it could clearly be heard across the entire auditorium.
She first thanked everyone for coming, and went on to say that she was thankful for the new facilities. She said she wasn’t just pleased with the new, big orchestra room, but she also loved the extra rooms, which she said added another dimension to what she was able to provide for the kids.
After the short speech, she got up on the conductor’s podium. A boy from Cleveland Dance, who was dressed as the Nutcracker, went to her and bowed. The Orchestra then started playing some excerpts from the Nutcracker Ballet.
“Trepak” was played first, with five boys around elementary school age dancing in front of the orchestra.
They didn’t have particularly synchronized moves, but what they lacked in professionality they made up for in spirit. One small boy tripped and fell a lot but got right back up each time, to the “awws” of several in the audience.
“Dance of the Mirlitons” was next, with a few girls dancing in front of the orchestra.
“March” was played right after. It was a very lively piece of music with an invigorating tune.
The orchestra then moved on to play “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” this time with a female solo dancer in front.
“Arabian Dance” was the final collaboration with Cleveland City Dance. It featured BHS’s own Hannah Lowenkamp.
After the songs, Cleveland City Dance Director Courtney Laves talked into the (broken) microphone about the company and its mission, which was to create an appreciation for dance through performances and education.
Friends of the Beachwood Orchestra executive board member Abbie Sender spoke next, thanking everyone for coming.
The Orchestra then played two more songs, the first being “The Gift” by William Hofeldt, and the second and final song of the night being “Faeries” by Mannheim Steamroller, with Beachwood teacher Mark Grey performing on the drums.
The concert thus concluded, with the entire orchestra bowing twice to the audience.
Goldman attributed the concert’s success to “…kids learning their music, scheduling between buildings…and cooperation and collaboration with the dance company.”
