It is officially Nutcracker season. The Nutcracker is a classic holiday story full of joy, adventure, and fun—and lots of dancing! Adapted from a children’s story into a full-length ballet by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, The Nutcracker and its timeless score, written around 1892 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, of course, have become a beloved Christmas tradition.
For many dancers, The Nutcracker is the sound of the season. Each year, choreographers and dancers are inspired to perform The Nutcracker or develop their own reimagined ballets. Because of its great influence on the dance and music worlds and the larger attachment people have to the story, The Nutcracker appears in many forms, including the Bellagio Gardens Nutcracker Display. The exhibit is an exploration of The Nutcracker story through roses, poinsettias, Christmas trees, and thousands of flower petals. Let’s step into the world of The Nutcracker.
Clara, Kind and Courageous
The Nutcracker begins at Clara’s family Christmas party where she receives a toy nutcracker as a present from her Grandfather Drosselmeier. When her Nutcracker comes to life, Clara is swept into an adventure, battling The Mouse King and traveling cross the Magical Snowflake Forest and The Land of Sweets. Clara is brave and dances her way through the Nutcracker story in her pointe shoes. Was it all a dream?
Sugarplum Fairy Sugar and Sparkling
The Sugarplum Fairy rules over the Land of Sweets. With her saccharine elegance and sugarcoated glamour, this lovely character performs her famous solo, the “Sugarplum Fairy Variation,” a solo en pointe overflowing with grace and whirling with refined classical ballet steps. Tchaikovsky discovered the perfect instrument for this solo in Paris. The celeste, which functions like a small piano or large upright music box, matched the musical expression of the Fairy as she danced. How beautiful! Visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
The Mouse King
The Mouse King arrives as an unexpected visitor to Clara’s home. He is mighty and ready for a scuffle, dancing choreography filled with big jumps alongside his fellow mice dancers. The symphonic music builds and Clara throws her ballet slipper, taking the victory of the battle in Act 1.
Mother Ginger
A lady full of surprises and cheer, Mother Ginger brings delight to Act 2 of The Nutcracker. She glides across the dance floor in her great hoop skirt, performing cheerful facial expressions. Surprise! Dancing gumdrops appear to take the stage, cartwheeling and twirling.
The Nutcracker
The toy that inspired the whole adventure, the Nutcracker is a charming main character who is strong, kindhearted, and caring. He begins as a small gift for Clara. Clara’s little brother Fitz breaks the Nutcracker, but Drosselmeier restores the Nutcracker in Clara’s dream and magic brings him to life as a real Nutcracker Prince. Life-sized and ready for adventure, he accompanies Clara in her adventure, dancing his own incredible ballet choreography.
The Nutcracker is a beloved Christmas story known around the world. As a ballerina, I have grown up dreaming of and dancing to The Nutcracker‘s music and story. While it only comes around once a year, a role in The Nutcracker is a prestigious position in many companies. I had the opportunity to perform in the Joffrey Ballet Company’s Nutcracker, choreographed by Directors Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, at just 12 years old. I was cast as a Polichinelle, dancing and twirling out from under Mother Ginger’s iconic hoop skirt. Our Mother Ginger was constructed by the famous puppeteer Kermit Love who is credited for being a designer and engineer of the Sesame Street Muppets.
In and out of dance, The Nutcracker has been adapted to many formats, including films, books, toys, and treats globally. Who is your favorite character in The Nutcracker ballet. Tag me (@royalcouturexo) and Showstopper (@goshowstoppermagazine) on social media with the hashtag #RoyalCoutureXShowstopper to tell us.
XO,
Christy Lyn
