The Nutcracker draws all ages
Like Christmas, The Nutcracker comes every year. And every year, from the Maritimes to Vancouver, it introduces people to the stunning art of ballet.
“It’s a tradition so you have people wanting to do traditional things around the holidays, and you have young children who are curious about dance and families that want to do something together,” said Ballet B.C.’s artistic director Emily Molnar, who herself has danced in the Nutcracker numerous times. “So it’s a great opener for a new dance public.”
First mounted in 1862 in St. Petersburg, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet that tells the story of a German girl named Clara who embarks on a fantastical journey and a faceoff against the evil Mouse King and his mischief of whiskered warriors.
“I feel the Nutcracker is the most accessible ballet for people of all ages,” said Goh Ballet director Chan Hon Goh, a former principal dancer for the National Ballet of Canada, whose first principal role was the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. “It is able to bring new audiences into the realm of ballet.”
“We wanted to build a production to last and to really be thought of as one of the best,” said Goh, whose Nutcracker cost $1 million to create in 2009.
Said Royal City Youth Ballet (RCB) board member Neil Lyons, “The Nutcracker is probably the most successful ballet experience worldwide because it attracts audiences of all ages and not just traditionalists.”
For the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the wow factor is paramount for the production. The famed company, which first mounted the production 11 years ago, decided to set the story in early-20th-century Canada, complete with parliamentary guards, Bay blankets and, of course, a good old fashioned game of shinny.
The Nutcracker is also a live-performance starting point for many ballet dancers. “In a company, it creates a lot more opportunities for performances, and often it is the place where young dancers get their first chances at lead or soloist roles,” said Ballet B.C.’s Molnar.
“They move up through this ballet,” agreed Goh, adding, “Our dancers are literally growing up as dancers with this.”
Ballet companies also have to be thankful for the big bucks the ballet generates. In North America, companies literally rely on this production as a major revenue creator.
“Being able to do well at the box office is key for us,” said Goh. “It is the only way we can pay our bills, really.”
“Yes, our Nutcracker is very successful because of our loyal audiences and the income supplements us for the entire year,” said RCB’s Lyons.
Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s artistic director Andre Lewis agreed, adding, “From a business standpoint, it certainly is the bread and butter of many, many organizations.”
Lewis said his company spent more than $1 million creating its Nutcracker, adding it would cost more than $2 million today.
“We look forward to have one of our own one day,” said Molnar of Ballet B.C., which is hosting Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s production this year.
“It will be more of a multimedia contemporary ballet. I would like to see it happen in the next four or five years.
“I want to be able to tour it and I want it to be a huge collaboration team of people from all over the country.”