This holiday season, Cache Valley Civic Ballet welcomes Brazilian dancer Lucas Castro as the Cavalier in their annual production of The Nutcracker.
“So, I am the first Black Latino ballet dancer to both perform with Cache Valley Ballet and principal dancer with Utah Metropolitan Ballet," Castro said. "I'm the very first one.”
Castro began practicing ballet when he was only 10 years old. He eventually received a scholarship to the Washington School of Ballet in D.C., where he stayed for two seasons before moving to Utah.
“I immigrated here with $600 to spend eight months," Castro recalled, "and I made it.”
And that might be a bit of an understatement.
At just 26 years old, Castro’s resume boasts two seasons as a Company Artist with the Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City, as well as performances in Russia, China, Brazil, Argentina, and more. Castro also said his father pushed him to finish an engineering degree, but added that he loved doing it, and might one day transition his career back towards engineering.
As for how he ended up in Logan, Castro said he was merely job hunting over the summer and stumbled upon the Cache Valley School of Ballet. He spent the summer with them, teaching ballet and was eventually invited to come back and perform in The Nutcracker.
The Cache Valley Civic Ballet is now in its 42nd season, and Emily Buckley, the president of the board of directors for the Ballet said it’s growing every year.
“We were able to add a sixth show for the first time," she shared. "We sell these shows out, and it's become Cache Valley’s favorite holiday tradition. It's Thanksgiving weekend every year, and it's just something that kind of starts the holiday season in Cache Valley.”
Buckley said this performance will include a 44-piece orchestra, beautifully intricate handmade costumes, showers of snow falling from the ceiling, and an angelic performance from the Cache Children’s Choir. Buckley shared that her own daughters will be performing in the show as well.
“So it's just a really unique production that's really special," she said. "And I always tell my girls, who are young still, 'I hope you realize how lucky you are to be a part of something so professional.’”
Her daughter Meg will be dancing as Clara in this year’s production. She was one of many students that was taught by Castro over the summer.
“I think he's a really great performer, and he's a really good dancer too,” Meg said.
On top of that, Castro said he is extremely proud to be an example to Latino and Black dancers, and he urged Cache Valley to come see the show.
“I don't think there's many Latino men dancing classical ballet right now. This is a beautiful production; the theater is beautiful. I think everything just [makes for] a great time.”
