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The Sugar Plum Fairy will pirouette — and pop, lock and drop — once more as Peninsula Lively Arts announced earlier this month that it raised enough money in November during an emergency fundraising appeal to continue with its annual full-length traditional and hip-hop Nutcracker productions.
On Nov. 15, the company issued a press release warning that the company might not be able to go forward with the two shows if it didn’t raise $150,000 by Nov. 30.
Although Peninsula Lively Arts didn’t meet the full amount by the end of last month, the company raised sufficient funds to continue with its signature holiday performances slated for Dec. 20-21, according to Peninsula Lively Arts Interim Executive Director Debbie Chinn.
“We got more than halfway (by the end of the month). And we had a short runway. What we heard was really affirming, and that people were eager to give, and they gave right away,” she said.
Chinn noted that some donors gave twice, while others indicated that gifts would be forthcoming. It all added up to enough of an improvement in the financial outlook to continue with the shows. The company’s traditional “Nutcracker” ballet and “Hip-Hop Nutcracker” will go ahead without changes or cuts.
On Dec. 6-7, Peninsula Lively Arts staged its annual “Nutcracker Sweet” production, an abbreviated version of the Nutcracker ballet designed for young audiences. Unlike the two full-length Nutcrackers, those performances had not been in jeopardy of cancellation, as they take place at the company’s own studio, rather than large, rented venues, and are more scaled-back productions.
The Nutcracker productions are ready to go forward, but the company has extended its $150,000 goal to continue fundraising through the end of the year.
The company still has some financial hurdles to address, as Chinn noted that the group has not had a development program to build relationships with donors who could help it find steadier financial footing longer term. To begin finding a base of donors, the company is considering a fundraising event in the spring, Chinn said.
Peninsula Lively Arts also runs a dance school and rents studio space to other groups. The school in particular, continues to see increasing interest.
The company is looking at expanding classes, Chinn said, “because they are at maximum capacity, which is great. Those are mostly ballet classes. The school is doing very, very well, and so we’re going to build on that … we are very proud of the school, and the fact that our studio renters also are part of our family, and they’re doing quite well.”
Peninsula Lively Arts’ next production is scheduled for February, and will be “thematically tied to Valentine’s Day,” Chinn said. It will take place in Mountain View, farther south of its usual venues in San Mateo and Redwood City.
In the meantime, the community’s reaction has highlighted the company’s trio of Nutcrackers — traditional, hip-hop and the abbreviated “Sweet’ shows, too— as special Peninsula holiday traditions, Chinn said.
“We’re learning that the donors want to give and we know that there’s a great love for this company, for this particular tradition. And what we heard is that the three different versions of nutcrackers are what makes our organization so unique,” Chinn said.
Hip-Hop Nutcracker takes place Dec. 20, 2 and 7 p.m., at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center, 600 N. Delaware St., San Mateo. $49-$69.
The Classic Nutcracker takes place Dec. 21, 2 p.m., also at the San Mateo Performing Arts Center. $49-$69. peninsulalivelyarts.org.
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