Friday, December 1, 2017 5Brooklin Town Crier continued from page 3 productions like this. It becomes a valuable learning lesson for them." Kourkounakis herself has a had a lifetime of such wonderful lessons. She grew up in Whitby and Kings- ton around parents who were heavily involved in summer theatre and music. Her own turning point came at age 17 when her high school math teacher saw her in a production of Oklahoma, something her classmates knew nothing about. He shared it with the class and from that point on, she was on top of the world. Dance as a gift A classically trained dancer with experience as an actress and singer, Kourkounakis has spent her entire adult life sharing these gifts with youngsters. "Dance was always a connection to myself," she says. "Now I try to get the kids to realize it for themselves." As to this show, The Nutcracker has many moving parts. The choreography requires getting children as young as 5-6 to move from point A to point B in something resembling coordinated timing. "Certainly the staging and choreography are more intricate," she says, understating the challenge. Community dance When not preparing this show or teaching, Kourkounakis has more recently immersed herself in a new project, introducing dance as a therapeutic approach for dementia and Parkinson's patients. "It's a collaboration between the medical professionals and wellness trainers and has been so very rewarding." The Nutcracker's three show run is just enough. However, she admits that by the end of it, the kids are probably ready to do more since they've then developed confidence in their performances. They won't have long to wait though. Prima plans to put on "Peter Pan" in the spring About the performances Prima Dance Academy's The Nutcracker will be performed at Oshawa Little Theatre with three shows: on Sat., Dec. 16 at 2 pm and 7 pm and Sun., Dec. 17 at 2 pm. Tickets are on sale from onstagedirect.com. Click on Oshawa to view seating options. Adults $29.50 and children 12 and under $21. (Note: Online sales for a performance close at midnight the night before.) If a show is not sold out, individual tickets can be purchased at the door for $35 cash.