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The weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of Lansing was brought to order by President Lisa Smith at precisely 12:15pm. And so, for the 92nd time our Rotary Club President brings all together for the Club’s Annual Christmas Party. Our honored guests, the wonderful children and staff of North School of Lansing awaiting all that promises to be another seasonal extravaganza…with Santa and all…and especially the gifts, yes, the gifts and a chance to bring the treasures of North School to the forefront of anxious Rotarians and the community at large as the cameras roll in the background.
Dining continued, as we gorged ourselves on the tasty lunch – salad, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, dressing, and fresh cuts of turkey laid out by the Lansing Center wait staff, chefs and crew…a truly magnificent holiday feast, indeed. Cookies and coffee for dessert….
With John Dale Smith accompanying, Ken Beachler took over from President Lisa and led us in the singing of “God Bless America” following the Invocation, led by North School students Luis Gutierrez and signed by Dennis Wardlaw III. Dave Trumpie helped introduce guests and visiting Rotarians, and Manny Garcia announced that the health of the Club was good.
Ken then sadly shared with all that it appears Santa was waylaid in the throes of an early winter storm, sleigh and reindeer brought to a sudden halt mid-trip heading to our Party from the far reaches of the North Pole. Somewhere in Canada and in the vicinity of Hudson Bay, I think it was mentioned. Visions of sugarplums turned instead into visions of lost gifts and the lost comfort of Santa calling forth his Elves to share his bounty with each child present seemed doomed…alas!
But, all is not lost, Ken continued, as the Greater Lansing Ballet Company (GLBC) was here at the Lansing Center to dance and help us celebrate the season, bringing with it the Nutcracker to dance the Nutcracker Suite. And with that, the faces in the crowd brightened with anticipation.
Ken then led all in a sing-along of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” accompanied by sign language so all could enjoy. Ken then introduced Missy Lilje, CEO of Happendance and also connected to the GLBC, who gave us a bit of the background of the GLBC. Missy’s husband teaches at North School, so this event is quite special for her.
In turn, Missy introduced Jim McEwan, Principal Dancer and Artistic Director of the GLBC, who continued to draw praise to this local non-profit of 25 years. Jim explained that the GLBC has male dancers and ballerinas who age from 8 years old on up into High School and College age and beyond, to include several professional dancers. How fortunate our community is to have the GLBC, and for our Club to have it performing at this, our grand community event of the year.
The Nutcracker Ballet has several parts, or Dances/Acts, Jim explained, and accompanying it is the wonderful score by composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky. And because all the dancers performing played roles in more than one Dance there would be costume changes and brief intermissions in which he would continue to share information about GLBC and the Nutcracker Ballet.
And with that, the Nutcracker Ballet begins. The first Dance, the Battle Dance, features none other than the Nutcracker, who stood larger than life in his gold-blazoned black uniform and tall military hat, and was defended by his leaping soldiers’ sword thrusts as they fended off attacks by their enemies, the Rats. Jim explained that this Ballet is performed as if seen through the eyes of a child living in Victorian times, and that the First Act is not a dance and is not performed but rather is a vision of children imagining the Dances to follow. More so, the modern Nutcracker is viewed as if through the eyes of American children around the time of World War II.
The Spanish Dance followed, ballerinas leaping and spinning in their black with red, Spanish Flamenco-like short-skirted costumes. Then came the Arabian Dance, consisting of three (3) ballerinas, one with a flowing gold cape, dancing the length of the entire stage while showing off their long-flowing turquoise and gold costumes. A beautiful solo performance of the Russian Dance by a GLBC ballerina featured a beautiful red and white-lace costume with mid-length skirt as the Nutcracker Ballet continued, nearing the end. And, finally, the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy in all its traditional glory and performed by professional dancer and GLBC Principal Dancer, Kailen Berry, dressed in an armless sequined top and white-frilled tutu with white stockings…her performance was filled with dazzling leaps and spins, a truly beautiful dance and a perfect ending to this memory-filled GLBC recital.
In ending, Jim McEwan noted that the GLBC dancers did not dance the Nutcracker “on point” (i.e., with toe-shoes and “on point”) today because of the raised flooring on stage at our Lansing Center, for safety, but that to see the GLBC perform “on point” all should come see them perform the Nutcracker live at the Pattengill Auditorium on December 18th through the 20th. Thank you, GLBC! J
We have some great singing voices in our Club, and four (4) of those beautiful voices – Ken Beachler, Ed Culberson, Mark Hooper and Lisa Smith, as accompanied by John Dale Smith - led us in the singing of Christmas hallmarks, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Silver Bells,” “White Christmas” and “Here Comes Santa Claus.”
And then, the miracle of miracles, Santa Claus is truly “coming to town”…Santa, unbeknownst to the North School students and others, rose to the stage and took his traditional place, front and center, to begin the gift-giving. Hey, I thought that he was grounded somewhere north of Lansing in the cold tundra of Canada???...surprise, indeed, and the North School students’ faces glowed with what they knew was to follow – beautifully wrapped gifts and having their names called out by Santa himself, while barking orders to his eager Elves to distribute the presents to the children, one by one. This year, Elves consisted of the entire GLBC collective along with the help of three (3) of our Clubs’ own eager “elves” – Sue Hansen, Linda Lynch and Tobi Lyon Moore. Thank you Sue, Linda and Tobi…you make great Santa’s Elves. Also, Santa was Dave Drayton, thank you Dave!
 Some of the North School students hearing their names called and receiving their Rotary Santa’s Christmas presents included, in no particular order (and sorry for any misspellings): Serenity, Angel, A.J., Aiesha, Dennis, Deshawn, Michaela, Nicolai, Damian, Brice, Agreda, Aiela, Xavier, Savannah and Dejuan. And with all the presents gone, Santa left the stage the same way he came in wishing all a very “Merry Christmas.”
In closing, President Lisa announced that our next meeting will be held Friday, December 11th, 2015 at our home, the Lansing Center. It is our Club’s Annual Meeting and Lisa noted that it will feature a short presentation of yet another decade, the 1980s, by yet another Centennial team member…this time it will be yours truly, moi. Wish me luck, and I hope that you like what you see and hear.
And with that President Lisa lowered the gavel, and our Club’s Annual Christmas Party 2015 came to an end at 1:10 p.m.
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We will have a Rotary Holiday Cheer party on Friday, December 18th from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. This will be at the Crowne Plaza of Lansing with appetizers and a cash bar. This is a great opportunity to bring your spouse or significant other to meet fellow Rotarians. If you are planning on attending, please R.S.V.P. by email to Cathy at