UHS Student Kajetan Haas Stars in Nutcracker

Kajetan Haas is no ordinary high school student. Besides the routine classes, homework and friends, the Urbana High School sophomore is also a dedicated ballet dancer of ten years. As a member of the infamously rigorous Champaign Urbana Ballet company, Haas devotes anywhere from two to six hours per day for rehearsal. For the enjoyment of us, however, those hours pay off every December when The Nutcracker is performed for a sellout crowd at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts in Urbana. And this year, Haas starred as the Nutcracker himself.

“It’s amazing every year to watch the show from the wings and see how good it has become since the start of rehearsals,” Haas said. “My favorite part of this year’s Nutcracker is that I have never done any of the parts that I am doing this year, so it has been very fun to learn and practice them.”

For those who are familiar with CU Ballet’s production of Tscaikovsky’s cherished Christmas story know how intricate a show it is. Filled with elegant choreography by Deanna Doty with a backdrop of a “gothic-modernist” set designed by Andy Warfel, each year’s spectacle has elements added to it so as to still make it enjoyable for repeat audience members.

“Lots of things change every year, or even every show, so no show is ever the same,” said Haas.

The Nutcracker was greeted by audiences for the 42nd time it has been performed for Champaign-Urbana audiences. If you were lucky enough to enjoy one of the shows on Dec. 4-7, no doubt you were left pleased.