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Kansas City Ballet Dancer Blogs about "The Nutcracker" and Retiring

Matthew Donnell, as Drosselmeyer, holding the Nutcracker at a Kansas City Ballet rehearsal.
photo: Laura Spencer/KCUR
Matthew Donnell, as Drosselmeyer, holding the Nutcracker at a Kansas City Ballet rehearsal.

This marks dancer Matthew Donnell's 10th and last season with the Kansas City Ballet. And he's documenting it along the way in a blog. This includes writing about what's likely to be his last year in the fairy-tale ballet, "The Nutcracker."

By Laura Spencer

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-876441.mp3

Kansas City, MO – Donnell, who'll be 29 at the end of the season, says retirement can be a scary word for a lot of dancers. He says teachers always say it's going to be a short career. But, as Donnell writes in his blog, he says he wants to show what artists go through as they make this transition. In 2010, Donnell plans a move to New York and a search for a job in musical theatre.

Slideshow: Kansas City Ballet company members and students rehearse the party scene for the annual production of "The Nutcracker"

Kansas City Ballet presents "The Nutcracker"
December 16 - December 27, 2009
Music Hall
301 W. 13th Street (13th & Central)
Kansas City, Missouri

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Kansas City is known for its style of jazz, influenced by the blues, as the home of Walt Disney’s first animation studio and the headquarters of Hallmark Cards. As one of KCUR’s arts reporters, I want people here to know a wide range of arts and culture stories from across the metropolitan area. I take listeners behind the scenes and introduce them to emerging artists and organizations, as well as keep up with established institutions. Send me an email at lauras@kcur.org or follow me on Twitter @lauraspencer.
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