The Dance Factory and Lake Geneva Symphony present Tchaikovsky’s popular ballet, The Nutcracker, written in 1892, on Saturday, December 17 at 1:00 p.m. Tickets ($30-35) are available here.
EMMANUEL RAMIREZ. Born and raised in Mexico, Emmanuel is a dance teacher, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Dance from Universidad de Guadalajara and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Drama from Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Mexico. Emmanuel has danced for various professional companies throughout Mexico, such as Compañía de Danza Clasica y Neoclasica de Jalisco, Compañía de Danza Clásica de Quintana Roo, Danza UNAM, Atelier Ballet Teatro Contemporaneo and Guadalajara en Movimiento, where he danced choreography pieces of Mark Godden, Nazira Yakubova, Katia Garza, Rosario Murillo, Dalirys Valladares, Sergio Vicencio, Arcadio Carbonell, Diego Vazquez, Raul Fernandez, among others. Emmanuel moved to Chicago in 2016 where he’s performed annually in both Ballet Legere’s and Ruth Page’s Nutcracker and danced as a company member of Elements Contemporary Ballet. As a Teacher, he has worked for Maywood Fine Arts, Ballet Legere, Dance On Broadway, The Rooted Space, Kenwood Ballet School, and Chicago Public Schools. As an actor he played the role Iago from Othelo for Repertorio Latino Theater Company, Sharks’ ensemble in West Side Story at Marriott Theater, and Ramon in Zorro the Musical at Musical Theater Works. He recently earned his Pilates Certification through Kinetic Axis studying under Steven Winterstein and is certified nationally through the Pilates Method Alliance.
NICOLE VOLPE. A Chicagoland local, Nicole has had an eclectic performance career. After graduating from St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN in 2016 with a degree in Psychology, she returned home to Chicagoland to study at Lou Conte Dance Studio’s Scholarship Program. Before launching her career as a freelance dancer, she also trained at Ruth Page, Hubbard Street Professional Program, and ABT Summer Intensives, among others. In Chicago, she had the opportunity to dance as a season soloist with Mandala South Asian Arts, Ballerina #1 on FOX’s Empire, with Alma Dance School in their productions of Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty, and as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Tina Hansen’s Nutcracker in 2019. Most recently, she had the opportunity to perform in the ensemble and Mistress alternate in Drury Lane Theater’s production of Evita. She is now living in Boston, MA with her husband and three cats, where she runs Nicole Marie Photography. She continues to dance in Boston, and is excited to be dancing with City Ballet of Boston, collaborating with Harvard Ballet Company, and exploring her own choreographic work with the thriving Boston dance community. She is thrilled to be returning to dance with The Dance Factory’s Nutcracker!
