Why The Nutcracker is special
Two Royal New Zealand Ballet dancers share their stories
KATHERINE MINOR
(lead role of Marie)
The Nutcracker is special to me because it was the first production I ever danced, when I was 10 years old. I couldn’t let go of the feeling I had of being on stage and it is probably what propelled my dream of becoming a dancer. I was involved as a “party child”. I loved wearing my costume (a green dress) and having to put curls in my hair. I danced as a bonbon in Act 2, where we came out from under the skirt of Mother Ginger. I remember we used to get nervous and giggly before coming out of the big skirt to dance. The next year I was cast as Marie, and that felt truly magical. Besides the moments I remember of being on stage, I remember developing a special bond with the other kids in the production. We often played games, made time capsules to hide or practised our steps over and over again. It was a period of time that seemed more special than Christmas itself. The music still reminds me of that special feeling I used to get when first performing this ballet. It is a particularly special way to share the holiday mood with other dancers as well as the audiences.
SARA GARBOWSKI
(key roles include Dew Drop Fairy and Sugar Plum Fairy) The Nutcracker is such a tradition and brings back so many childhood memories of being in the theatre. It was the first professional ballet I was involved with as a child and I remember being thrilled to be on stage next to the professional dancers. It was truly inspiring. My parents took me to see The Nutcracker when I was young. I saw all the kids involved in the production and I wanted to do it as well, so my mum took me to the school that provided the children for the production. Specifically, I wanted to be one of the two little lambs that appeared in the 2nd act. My first year in The Nutcracker, I got the part. The Nutcracker is about a young girl’s dream on Christmas Eve. I think we all still have bits of that child in us that likes to dream no matter how old we are, especially during Christmas.