It’s Christmas. Among other things that means The Nutcracker ballet, which I saw tonight. This performance was by the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, a ballet school founded by former Australian Ballet dancer Christine Walsh, and oh, goodness, what a production it was!
Most of the cast were members of the ballet school, with a scattering of adults in the character roles. The younger cast members played everything from the children at the Christmas party to the mice, and Clara, the little girl who gets a nutcracker for Christmas from her godfather Drosselmeyer and is taken to the kingdom of sweets, got to dance a lot more than in most productions. She was watching the divertissements in Act 2, yes, but kept jumping up and joining in. I think that kid is going to be a professional by the time she finishes school.
I have downloaded the original E.T.A Hoffman story, The Nutcracker And The Mouse King from Apple Books and am reading it now. It was only 99 cents, and I had been intending to read it for some time. The original name for the girl was Maria, which is sometimes used in the ballet.
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I have seen this ballet before, many times, though not recently on stage. There was a production done by the New York Ballet, which I saw on YouTube, but the most recent ballet I saw on stage was Spartacus, a few years ago. I just felt it was the right time of year to see The Nutcracker and booked on an impulse - an impulse I’m not regretting at all.
If you want to see the ballet free, there are plenty of versions on YouTube. It’s a nice way to celebrate the lead up to Yuletide.
6 comments:
And that glorious music by Tchaikovsky! Glad you enjoyed the production!
Thanks, Debra! And I have seen it so many times I could shut my eyes and know, just from the music, what is happening on stage.
I learned ballet from 1952-1964, including years with Borovansky in the city. Everyone loved Nutcracker, of course, and my Russian family in particular loved Tchaikovsky. But now I wonder if young girls even learn ballet any more.
I haven't seen this on stage, but I remember watching it on TV when I was quite young.
Hi Sue - it's a gorgeous ballet ... I won't get to see it - but it might appear on the tv - I'd watch that. I love the music we get to hear at this time of year. So happy to see you loved your visit and thoroughly enjoyed the production - cheers and have a lovely Christmas - Hilary
my ballet teacher loved Nutcracker during the 1950s and early 1960s. I remember the music more than the movements.
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