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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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Laura Spencer is staff writer/editor at the Kansas City Public Library and a former arts reporter at KCUR.
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