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Health & Fitness

A Few of My Favorite Things

As an avid Kool 108 listener this time of year, I'm always surprised to hear "My Favorite Things" associated with Christmas. However, in the case of this upcoming holiday show, it fits.

Hello Woodbury — I am the other half of the official EMSO Insider team. My name is Angie Wanger, I’ve lived in Woodbury for 4.5 years and I play second violin for East Metro Symphony Orchestra (EMSO). 

I’ve heard that to find happiness as an adult, you’re supposed to reclaim your hobbies/interests from when you were 10 years old. For me, that meant dusting off the violin and breaking out the dance shoes, finding a music and dance home in the east metro.

In 2009, I joined EMSO in its debut season (first year under its new identity as a non-profit after years as the 3M Orchestra) and signed up for adult tap classes at Woodbury Dance Center. These were some of the best decisions I’ve made since moving to the Twin Cities as I couldn’t say enough great things about both organizations.

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A Rochester native, I “grew up” playing violin in Rochester Public Schools (beginning in 5th grade). As I got older, I joined SEMYO (Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestra), and then went on to play violin in college at Iowa State University.  Miraculously, I had never played The Nutcracker, but I did grow a huge love for Tchaikovsky having played his 5th, 4th, and 2nd symphonies (among other works).  

As for dance, I started as a tap dancer at Janet Lang Dance Studio in 3rd grade.  I was a toy soldier in “It’s A Small World” in my first recital. Dance was one of many hobbies I had as a child, so I never got “serious” with dance (over 10 years I took tap, jazz, hip hop, clogging…but never ballet). I have a greater respect for ballet and the importance of it in terms of dance technique now as an adult and wish I had taken it as a child.  So, that tap dancing toy soldier for “It’s A Small World” is the closest I got to anything remotely related to The Nutcracker.

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This upcoming partnership between EMSO and Woodbury Dance Center is the highlight of EMSO’s 2012-2013 season for me, and it could be for you, too!  If you caught our collaborations in the Holiday Concert in 2009 (which included some dances from The Nutcracker) or Hallowed Harvest in 2010, this will be an even more exciting event!  

The full symphony orchestra will be seated behind the dancers on the stage, providing the audience the opportunity to observe how live dance and music can come together.  

Together we are performing seven dances from The Nutcracker, with dancers ages 6 through 18.  The orchestra will conclude the show with a holiday music sing along!  Dancing, music, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker — all of my favorite things in one fun afternoon!  This is a family friendly event that will certainly get you in the holiday spirit!

The Event

Come join us at Stillwater Junior High School, 523 West Marsh Street, at 3:00 p.m., Sunday, December 9. Tickets are $10 Adults, $8 students/seniors, $6 for senior groups of 10 or more, children 5 and under are free! Tickets are available in pre-sale from Woodbury Dance Center and are available at the door.  Check out our website or Facebook page for more details.

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