Not Your Average
“Nutcracker” The Alexandria Community Nutcracker:
The Nutcracker with a Twist and Some Jazz
W ith three strong women at the helm,
three in charge would never classify themselves as
this annual production begins with
powerhouses even though they rightfully should
individual visions of dance that meld
after accomplishing as much as they have in dance
into a unique unified production each
over the course of nine years.

year. They are: Gennifer Difilippo from Alexandria,
VA, a mother of two sons and owner of Alexandria
Community Dance as well as nonprofit Artspire
dance company, Courtney Betzel from Burke, VA,
All three women have extensive dance experience,
having started their own dance training at an early
age and teaching dance for many years. When
a mother of two and director of West Potomac
Gennifer began working at West Potomac High
Academy dance program and Adrienne Magnuson
School as the Varsity Dance Team coach, she met
from Alexandria, VA, a mother of two daughters
Adrienne, who worked as the Junior Varsity Dance
and owner of Above the Barre dance studio. These
Team coach, and Courtney, who directed and
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provided the main dance instruction at the West
disparate elements into one harmonious blend that
Potomac Academy dance program within West
is divided into two acts.

Potomac High School. Due to their interactions and
Unlike the traditional Nutcracker with its classical
affiliations with the high school, Gennifer, Adrienne
and Courtney would soon become friends and even
business partners.

musical score and straight ballet, the Alexandria
Community Nutcracker is saucy, vivacious and full
of character, with a lot more than just ballet. If the
Gennifer originated
the plan of doing a
Nutcracker at the high
school and approached
Courtney with her
ideas. “I wanted to do
something that was
not straight ballet.

I wanted to make it
[The Nutcracker] a
little different,” stated
Gennifer. Quietly and
with little fanfare, the
desire to do something
“a little different”
would end up being the
original philosophy of
The Nutcracker vision to
which the three women
would steadfastly adhere
to since its inaugural
2009 season.

About the Alexandria
Community Nutcracker:
The Alexandria
Community Nutcracker
show features
remastered music from
the students of the West
Potomac High School Orchestra and uniquely pulls
creative dances, movements, styles and theatrical
original Nutcracker is a tame Mary Poppins, this
emotions from a variety of genres. The audience
version of The Nutcracker is the showgirl Beyoncé,
may see ballet, pointe, modern, jazz, lyrical, tap, hip
pulling out all the stops, offering cinematic eye
hop, Spanish and Irish dancing and even gymnastics
candy and leaving the audience entertained and
sprinkled throughout the performance. Though there
is no direct correlation among the differing styles of
breathless through the whole thing. There is good
versus evil, cuteness, tender scenes, a few funny
dance, Gennifer, Courtney and Adrienne work hard
to choreograph, manage and assemble the seemingly
Nutcracker
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