Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals
Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals
Nov 2012 - Nassau Journals
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14 THE JOURNAL NOVEMBER <strong>2012</strong><br />
AMERICAN REPERTORY BALLET continued<br />
Stephen Campanella as Solider Doll - Credit-George Jones<br />
How has ARB’s Nutcracker evolved since you began performing<br />
in it?<br />
It has undergone several overhauls over those 50 years, from a<br />
version choreographed largely by the founder of Princeton Ballet,<br />
Audrée Estey, plus choreography after the original Petipa-Ivanov ballet,<br />
to a version choreographed by the previous artistic director, Graham<br />
Lustig, to yet a third and current version. The current director,<br />
Douglas Martin, brought back the much-loved First Act Party and Battle<br />
scene choreography of Ms. Estey; choreographed much of his own<br />
Snow Scene and Second Act with ARB’s Ballet Mistress, Mary Barton;<br />
and used some of the Petipa-Ivanov choreography.<br />
In a personal note, I am often called to perform in the Party Scene<br />
as the father of the family in which I started out as the youngest boy.<br />
The following students are performing in the Act I Party Scene,<br />
Snow Scene, and/or in an Act II divertissement of ARB’s Nutcracker.<br />
They are all in the American Repertory Ballet Workshop (ARBW),<br />
which is the performance division of Princeton Ballet School’s advanced<br />
levels.<br />
Other local participants in American Repertory Ballet’s rendition<br />
of the Nutcracker Ballet include:<br />
Emmanuelle Farrell, Plainsboro<br />
Marian Farrell, Plainsboro<br />
Sara Garcia, North Brunswick<br />
Kaila Jones, Plainsboro<br />
Imogen Lea, Cranbury<br />
Utka Ozdemir, Plainsboro<br />
Chelsea PeBenito, East Brunswick<br />
Dominique Rafael, East Brunswick<br />
Nina Reyes, Cranbury<br />
Anna Shpilsky, East Brunswick<br />
HIGHTSTOWN HIGH’S GIRLS’<br />
SOCCER<br />
By Rich Fisher<br />
Heading into the <strong>2012</strong> season, Hightstown High girls’ soccer<br />
coach “Doctor” Don Hess had high hopes for an experienced<br />
team coming off a 10-6-3 season.<br />
At mid-season the record stood at 7-4, which was OK but perhaps<br />
not as impressive as folks might have been expecting.<br />
Dig beneath that mark and look at the play of the field, however,<br />
and the Rams were certainly living up to the expectations of Hess and<br />
assistant Ray Griffis.<br />
We Will Never Forget<br />
Hightstown was beset by two season-ending injuries before the<br />
year even started and had several players fighting nagging injuries<br />
throughout September and early October.<br />
All four of the Rams losses were by one goal and, with any luck,<br />
Hightstown would have had a glittering record.<br />
But as the leaves began to change in mid-October, Hess felt<br />
things were on the upswing.<br />
“We’re getting most of our players back, and I think things are<br />
going to pick up,” said Doctor Don, who won his 200th career game<br />
to open the season. “This is a great group of girls, I really like these<br />
girls and I want to see them finish with the best record possible and<br />
really have a nice season.”<br />
One of the big keys to this year has been goalie Lisa Jerry, whose<br />
dedication to the program last season was typical of what Hess was<br />
talking about with his players.<br />
As a junior, Jerry was splitting time with senior Erin Sobkowiak.<br />
But when the JV goalie went down with an injury and Hightstown<br />
had no one to take her place, Hess asked Jerry to move down, and<br />
she did so without a complaint.<br />
“She didn’t mind playing down,” Hess said. “The JV finished 13-<br />
0-1. It was a case of either<br />
sending her down or breaking<br />
in a new girl, and I hate to<br />
break in a girl who never<br />
played before because that’s<br />
how people get hurt. So we decided<br />
to send Lisa down. We<br />
could always call her over<br />
from the JV field if we needed<br />
her on varsity.”<br />
The time on JV did not slow<br />
Jerry’s progress. Through this<br />
year’s first 11 games, she had<br />
60 saves and three shutouts.<br />
“She’s been fine,” Hess said.<br />
“She’s been playing well. She’s<br />
Hightstown defenders Becca Cordo (left)<br />
and Cate Douglas have been stellar<br />
alternating between sweeper and stopper<br />
this season.<br />
had some stellar games. Especially<br />
with the high target<br />
shots in the upper 90. She’s<br />
very good at getting her hands<br />
on it. And her punts have<br />
been improving a lot, she has really gotten better.”<br />
Jerry has been helped by the strong defense of Becca Cordo and<br />
Cate Douglas, who switch between stopper and sweeper, depending<br />
on the opponent. Sophomore marking backs Melissa Barnes and<br />
Cristina Tous have also done solid jobs.<br />
A key to the midfield was the return of Erin Daley from injury.<br />
The senior forward/midfielder is the team’s top playmaker, and Hess<br />
felt as she got healthier it would help the offense click better. Lydia<br />
Walsh has also been a force as the opposite side winger.<br />
The big threat up front has been sophomore Dakota Mills, who<br />
had six goals and three assists through 11 games, after debuting on<br />
varsity with eight goals and two assists last year. Alexa Lopez and<br />
Walsh have also been finding the back of the net.<br />
“We have a lot of players contributing; of course they look to<br />
Dakota because she’s a big target and has a good foot,” Hess said.<br />
“I’ve moved her back to halfback just to take the mark off her. People<br />
go after her, she gets taken down a lot, and gets banged up a lot.<br />
“We moved her into the halfback spot to make a run through or<br />
put her into space. She holds the school record in the 200, so she’s<br />
got good speed.”<br />
And with his walking wounded returning slowly but surely, Hess<br />
is hoping for a fast finish to the season as well.