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December 2011 - Sacramento Ballet - Ron Cunningham's
"The NUTCRACKER" - Haley's 7th and Rachel's 8th year
August 2011 - Music Circus Sacramento
"Annie Get Your Gun"
"Annie Get Your Gun" One of the Best Shows Ever at Music Circus
by Bill Burgua, published on August 10, 2011 - Sacramento Press
"The other actors who deserve to be singled out are the three young performers from the Music Circus Junior Company playing Annie’s younger siblings. Zac Ballard, who was one of the littlest ones in Fagin’s Gang in “Oliver!” is Little Little Jake. Sisters Haley and Rachel Finerman are both in their third Music Circus productions playing Jessie and Nellie Oakley. All three held their own with the adults and were audience favorites."
Edward Watts and Beth Malone in Annie Get Your Gun at Music Circus August 9-14. Photos by Charr Crail.
"There aren’t enough good things we can say about Beth Malone who stars in the show as Annie Oakley. She literally starts off with a bang and keeps the audience laughing throughout. Malone maintains the perfect balance of naivety and hardiness of a woman defying the norms of womanhood. Edward Watts is an excellent leading man as Frank Butler. His charismatic portrayal and the dulcet tones of his voice make him the exceptional heartthrob. Comic relief is brought to the stage in droves with Heather Lee as the scheming Dolly Tate, Paul Ainsley as the stalwart Chief Sitting Bull and the return of Ron Wisniski to Sacramento for the second time this summer, this time as the leader of the pack Buffalo Bill Cody. We’d be remiss not to mention the performances by Annie’s siblings: Haley and Rachel Finerman (Jesse and Nellie) and the adorable Zac Ballard (Little Jake). Seen previously this summer in Oliver!, these kids are professional performers who take any role they are given in stride."
Rachel in Sacramento Theatre Company's professional producton of
"Brighton Beach Memoirs"
March 2011
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Haley & Rachel in Sacramento Music Circus
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"
July 2010
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2010 Nutcracker Article in the Sacramento Bee
Sac Ballet's 'Nutcracker' is adventure full of magicShare
By Jim Carnes
jcarnes@sacbee.com Published: Monday, Dec. 13, 2010 - 12:00 am Monday, Dec. 13, 2010 - 7:25 am No matter how bah-humbug-gy you may feel, the Sacramento Ballet's "The Nutcracker" will brighten your outlook. It is a magical adventure, a celebration of the innocence and wonder of childhood that is tailor-made for the holiday season.
Set at Christmastime, it tells the story of young Clara, who is given a nutcracker that – in a dream – comes alive and leads her on a visit to colorful lands.
The production that opened Friday at Sacramento's Community Center Theater and continues through Dec. 23 is familiar but with slight tweaks. The changes speak to the strengths of the company and to the dedication of co-artistic directors Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda to involving more young dancers in more ways.
This year, Cunningham created roles for dancers, both male and female, who had outgrown the usual children's parts but were not yet ready for more advanced work. Among them are the roles of Soldier Captain, a sort of assistant to the Nutcracker (played opening night by Sam Ainley-Zoll), and Sugar Plum Fairy Attendants (danced opening night by Haley Finerman, Rachel Finerman, Allison Lian and Katya Schloemann).
2008 Sacramento Ballet's "The NUTCRACKER", both Haley and Rachel
played the LEAD role of CLARA (in separate casts) alongside the Professional Company Dancers, what an awesome experience!
YouTube video of their Nutcracker experience!
Click link to see Haley on the noon news (Dec 2008)
(after 15 second commercial)
Featured article - Sacramento Bee
By Jim Carnes
jcarnes@sacbee.com
COVER STORY
--The minute Haley and Rachel Finerman saw their names on different cast lists for the Sacramento Ballet's
upcoming production of "The Nutcracker," they knew something was up.
"Mr. Cunningham (ballet co-artistic director Ron Cunningham) always puts siblings together in the same cast,"
11-year-old Rachel said. Not this time. Not this year. For the first time in the 21 years of the ballet's holiday staple,
twins are dancing the same part in the same year. Haley and Rachel are both dancing the coveted role of Clara --
Haley in Cast A and Rachel in Cast C. Sofia Ringstrom, 10, will perform the role in Cast B.
(Because there is such a demand to be in the production, which is officially billed this year as
"The 21st year of Ron Cunningham's The Nutcracker,"
there are three casts of young dancers in roles from baby mice to Mother Ginger's children to party kids.
This year, nearly 500 children of various ages, races and physical abilities will perform in the ballet.)
Haley and Rachel will celebrate their 12th birthday during the run of the ballet,
which opens Saturday and continues through Dec. 23.
But they are old hands at the ballet. This will be Rachel's fifth year in "The Nutcracker" and Haley's fourth.
(The first year Rachel performed, Haley had just discovered karate and preferred to kick rather than leap.)
But their friendship with "The Nutcracker" goes back even further. Almost to the cradle. "For their second birthday,
we took them to 'The Nutcracker'," mom Karen Finerman said in a recent interview at the ballet studio.
"They sat and they watched it, and they loved it." It was the start of a tradition.
"We had their third birthday at 'The Nutcracker' -- and every birthday since," she said.
The first year Rachel performed in the ballet, she was a cherub -- and "our class came to see her,"
Haley said. By the time auditions for the next production rolled around,
Haley was ready to try out, too. They've performed together in various roles in every production
for the past four years.
"We knew we were going to be party girls (at least)," Haley said of this year's auditions.
"Then I got set as Clara in Cast A. And then Rachel was set in Cast C."
"They were really surprised that they weren't in the same cast," their mother said. "But it was a nice surprise."
A dancer can be cast as Clara only once, but this won't be the end of the Finermans' participation.
"As long as we're under 5 feet tall, we can try for party girl," Rachel said.
And there are other roles they can aspire to as skills improve. "They said, 'We don't care what part we have,
we just want to be in it,' " Karen Finerman said.
"I just wanted to do 'The Nutcracker,' " Rachel said. "It's really fun to see all the party kids playing."
"I like working with the professional dancers," Haley said. "When we do the party dance,
it's fun to dance with the company members."
Haley and Rachel find inspiration, too, in a cousin who is a member of the famed Radio City Music Hall Rockettes.
"We visited New York two Thanksgivings ago to see the Rockettes' holiday show," dad Jeff Finerman said,
"and they got a backstage tour and special T-shirts from their cousin."
Both girls say they want to continue in dance and in music in some form. They study musical theater,
tap and ballet at the ballet school and take piano, voice and ice-skating lessons
("But we stopped skating till the first of the year," Haley said.)
They've enrolled in the Natomas Charter School performing arts program
and both recently were awarded black belts in karate.
The Finerman girls' story is special -- especially the introduction to
"The Nutcracker" at 2 -- but other dancers also have grown up with (and in) the ballet.
Sacramento Ballet company members Kirsten Bloom, Alexandra Cunningham and Brik Middlekauff have
long associations with "The Nutcracker," too. Middlekauff, a Sacramento native,
started taking dance lessons at 31/2 and first appeared in
"The Nutcracker" at 5. "I remember when I was 4 wanting to do this," she said.
"Mom gave me a choice between ballet and gymnastics (lessons). And I said, 'I want to dance.'
After I made my choice, she said I could take gymnastics, too, but I said 'no.' This was everything -- 'The Nutcracker.' "
Once Middlekauff started, it became almost an obsession. "It would be the middle of summer and I'd think: 'Nutcracker' auditions!" she said.
This year, Middlekauff is dancing as the Governess, among other roles.
Cunningham was 6 when she first appeared onstage in "The Nutcracker."
"It's just exhilarating as a young girl to be Clara," she said. She danced the part in 1997 after several other roles.
"I did the party scene, I was a Blue (family) girl. I remember really wanting to do the Candy Cane."
Cunningham dances as Columbine, among other parts, this year.
Bloom started dancing at 5, but she lived "in a small town that didn't really have the opportunities like here," she said.
She first danced in "The Nutcracker" when she was 15. She didn't get to dance as
Clara but she has danced as flowers and in the Snow Court.
"I've risen through the adult roles," she said, adding that this year is her 20th year performing in
"The Nutcracker." She plays Clara's mother.
"I see these kids grow up," she says, motioning toward Cunningham and Middlekauff
(and more broadly toward the entire studio).
"I've seen generations come and go or come and stay." Generations? An exaggeration perhaps,
but only because this "Nutcracker" has only been around 21 years.
BEFORE YOU GO
LISTEN: If you aren't already familiar with Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's wonderful score for "The Nutcracker," there are excellent recordings of the complete ballet and highlights.
Check out "Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker (Complete Ballet)/ Sleeping Beauty Suite" as recorded by Seiji Ozawa and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
SPECIAL: New this year, the ballet is offering "Nutcracker Sweet Sunday" on Dec. 14. Attendees will see a performance of the ballet at 2 p.m.,
then follow the performance with juice and cookies, and a chance to mingle in the lobby with characters from the ballet. Tickets to this special event --
$75 general, $37.50 for ages 12 and younger -- also include the opportunity to have a picture taken onstage in the
Land of Sweets with the Sugar Plum Fairy or other characters from the dance.
THE 21ST YEAR OF RON CUNNINGHAM'S 'THE NUTCRACKER'
WHAT: The Sacramento Ballet's annual holiday production
WHEN: Opens at 7 p.m. Saturday and continues at 2 p.m. next Sunday, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 13, 2 p.m. Dec. 14, 7 p.m.
Dec. 19, 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 20, 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 21, and 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 23
WHERE: Community Center Theater, 1301 L St., Sacramento -
TICKETS: $28-$63 general, $14-$31.50 ages 12 and younger
INFORMATION: (916) 808-5181
Call The Bee's Jim Carnes at (916) 321-1130.
Performers in "The 21st year of Ron Cunningham's The Nutcracker," include, above from left,
Kirsten Bloom, Sam Ainley-Zoll, Alexandra Cunningham, Haley Finerman, Timothy Coleman,
Chandler Metcalf and Brik Middlekauff.
The final scene during a dress rehearsal of "Nutcracker" at the Community Center Theater
in Sacramento on Thursday, December 4, 2008. "Nutcracker" opens on Saturday, 12/6,
and review will run in Scene section on Monday, December 6.
(Haley in balloon)
'Candy Cane' dancer Tim Coleman leaps through a hoop during a dress rehearsal
of "Nutcracker" at the Community Center Theater in Sacramento on Thursday,
December 4, 2008. "Nutcracker" opens on Saturday, December 6.
Kirsten Bloom dances during a dress rehearsal of "Nutcracker" at the Community Center
Theater in Sacramento on Thursday, December 4, 2008. "Nutcracker" opens on Saturday, 12/6,
and review will run in Scene section on Monday, December 6.
Dancers Amanda Peet, left, and Richard Porter perform during a dress rehearsal
of "Nutcracker" at the Community Center Theater in Sacramento on Thursday,
December 4, 2008. "Nutcracker" opens on Saturday, December 6.
2007 Nutcracker, Haley and Rachel as "Party Girls" (Clara's Friends)
click Nutcracker link below for
We are
Haley
& Rachel
We were
Born Dec 16, 1996
(thanks to Pacific Fertility Medical Center)
"Keep scrolling to bottom of page to see photos"
"Winnie
the Pooh Page" 2-98 
"Halloween
Treat"
10-97
