Dr. Kathryn Halloran, the AP and Honors Biology teacher, has superpowers. She single-handedly organizes both prom and science fair, and has yet another talent found in costume design for the Community Nutcracker.

Halloran has been in charge of the costumes for the Community Nutcracker for 14 years. All of her daughters and now her granddaughter have been involved in the world of ballet. She first started designing costumes when her daughters consistently received costumes that were too big. Halloran said,“ I would always have to take it apart and put it back together to fix it and I finally said, ‘this is ridiculous I’m doing it myself’”.

She took over the sewing tasks from an older woman at her studio that had developed Alzheimer’s. So Halloran bought a book and taught herself the art of costume design.

In preparation for this performance, she begins working on the costumes in the summer. Sometimes, however, the director will ask her to change something last minute. She says that “probably every other year, at least, we will have one new set of costumes, but what always happens is when we are making one new set, we always make more than one”.

Many types of materials are required to create these intricate costumes.  Halloran buys some of these materials in town but most of the materials she finds on the internet. Her favorite website is Tutu.com.

Halloran’s passion for designing costumes for her dancer’s expresses not only her intelligence but also her creativity. She said, “I love to play with Barbie Dolls, that’s like my favorite thing to do. My girls are too old, and my granddaughter hates Barbie Dolls. There are no more Barbie Dolls to dress in my house anymore, but I have all of these dancers, and they are my personal Barbie Dolls! I get to design what goes on them! And make it work and all that stuff.”

Halloran’s favorite costume she has made is the red-velvet Clara dress worn in the party scene. Her other favorite costume, although it’s a “stupid and simple” costume, is the giant rat costume. The rat costumes have really fat bellies and little vests. Halloran said, “It’s cute and people remember it. Sometimes it’s not the pretty costumes people remember.”

Throughout the years, Halloran has crafted and altered countless costumes. Her team, including herself and a small crew, work together to craft intricate and elaborate costumes that continue to to wow their audiences. However, production week does not always run smoothly. Halloran told us that there is always someone who rips their costume while putting it on or forgets it at home. She said, “They’re kids! What can you expect?”

Her biggest disaster this year involved the tutu of the lead dewdrop in the waltz of the flowers. The director asked Halloran to make the tutu longer, which involved taking the tutu completely apart to add the extra material. This one task alone took five hours to complete.

This Nutcracker adds additional roles to incorporate the majority of the children auditioning. Halloran’s efforts, along with the rest of the Community Nutcracker crew, are volunteers dedicated to providing the children of this community the opportunity to fulfill a dream of performing in the Nutcracker. With extra parts come more costumes and more long nights for Halloran. However, her increased efforts include and incorporate more children into the community. One of the added roles has become one of the most sought-after roles because of the pretty costume.

This Nutcracker is not only based upon elaborate and intricate costumes worn to impress an audience. Rather, this Nutcracker seeks to capture the catharsis of its audience which establishes holiday traditions for generations.

The Community Nutcracker not only includes all children of the community, the “15 studios and over two hundred performers.”, but also partners with Dreams Come True to give a sick child the opportunity to perform in the Nutcracker. The Community Nutcracker embodies the love, compassion, and joy of the holiday season.