As November gives way to December, Christmas lights begin to dot the streets, Starbucks breaks out its festive red cups and the annual holiday crop of “Nutcracker” productions springs up.
For decades, the iconic images of a mysteriously expanding tree, a rat king and his posse of mice, an enchanting swirl of snowflakes and an intoxicating land of sweets have been entwined with an American Christmas tradition. The notes of Tchaikovsky’s score beckon audiences into a two-act tale of holiday reverie…
Drosselmeyer’s Christmas gift to Clara is a nutcracker doll, one that transforms first into a life-sized soldier to defeat the advances of a menacing army of mice and later into a prince. He whisks Clara away on a journey through twirling snowflakes to the majestic land where flowers waltz merrily and Arabian coffee, Chinese tea, Spanish chocolate and the dazzling Sugar Plum Fairy take human form and treat her to vibrant dances.
This American tradition derives from a Russian ballet, premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1892 to a mediocre reception. Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov, the same choreographic duo that revived “Swan Lake” three years later, were responsible for the original, adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s story of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King.”
San Francisco Ballet designed our nation’s first “Nutcracker” in 1944, but it was George Balanchine’s 1954 production for New York City Ballet that truly marked the beginning of an era. Televised in 1957 and again in 1958 – a time when ballet in the U.S. was still in its infancy – it captured the imaginations of youthful viewers across the country and never let go.
New York City Ballet has mounted “The Nutcracker” each holiday season without exception since its premiere. Major ballet companies from coast to coast perform dozens of “Nutcracker” permutations between every Thanksgiving and New Year. As the economy falters and dance ventures struggle to stay afloat, annual “Nutcracker” runs continue to be a revenue powerhouse. The repertory staple helps to fund the remainder of most companies’ seasons.
Many a choreographer has set out to reinterpret the ballet or associate it with a particular cultural heritage, incorporating contemporary movement and themes. Hip-hop, tap and even burlesque have made their “Nutcracker” debuts. And, of course, “The Nutcracker” is an institution in ballet schools across the nation. Aspiring dancers grow up with the ballet, from the day they first scurry around the stage in the Act I party scene, to the years they don tutus for the mirlitons or waltz of the flowers, and culminating with the experience of stepping out of the wings as Dew Drop, Snow Queen or Sugar Plum.
Through the years, “The Nutcracker” has become a Christmastime tradition. Its influence has extended beyond the stage and slowly trickled into popular culture. Film versions have starred Macaulay Culkin (1993), an animated Barbie (2001) and, now in theaters, Elle Fanning and Nathan Lane. Tchaikovsky’s instantly recognizable melodies drift endlessly from department store speakers and accompany holiday-themed ads – this year’s Planter’s peanuts commercial features a wooden nutcracker doll and his wounded peanut colleagues.
For those who have seen only one ballet in their lifetime, it was more than likely “The Nutcracker.” A two- (rather than four-) act format provides a more palatable point of entry into the canon of classical ballet than most other works. The simple plot, bright scenery and effervescent dancing speak to audiences of all ages. More than anything, its magic is irresistible. “The Nutcracker” no longer belongs solely to a ballet repertory; it has been enveloped by the holiday traditions that mark the American Christmas season. ‘Tis the season to see “The Nutcracker.”