Since I was a toddler, I’ve looked forward to seeing the Nutcracker every holiday season. I dream about the gorgeous costumes and intricate steps, the ethereal ballerinas and the stunning illusion of a magical world on stage. To me, and glassy eyed little girls and appreciative adults, it personifies the Christmas season and the true spirit of Christmas.
So when I finally became a part of Boston Ballet’s most famous show, I was disappointed to find out that we had lost the prestigious Wang Theater and been “dis-staged” by a newer, flashier, prancier show: The Rockettes.
One is dancing, the other prancing. The latter could be symbolic of reindeers in the Christmas season, but the show just isn’t as interesting and beautiful to watch. The Nutcracker, on the other hand, is a surreal story told through intricate steps and elaborate costumes, bringing a world to life with the voices of the orchestra and the images of ballet. Developed from a story by E.T.A. Hoffman, Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker is more than a sequence of memorized steps illuminated by flashy smiles. It is a story told through artistry, musicality, and grace.
The Nutcracker inspires and enthralls its audience of all ages. The children watching want to be Clara, and want to dance like the glimmering ballerinas on stage. The adults revel in the musicality and technicality of the performance, or its delightful scenes and story. Senior Cathyrn Blair agrees. “I love The Nutcracker! It is such a classic and beautiful ballet. I remember going as a kid and then a couple years ago I went and I loved it even more now than I had when I was kid. As a ballerina it is an inspiration to see those beautiful dancers glide across the stage.”
The story’s message, too, is an inspiration. It is one of dreams, sugarplums, hope, and joy in the holiday season. And this has made it a timeless tradition. Beyond the transcendance of a good story, the Nutcracker is the perfect combination of classical music and ballet choreographed at the height of the classical period. This aesthetically pleasing and mentally nourishing performance is in itself timeless, as it is a testimony to human achievement. All the musicians of the orchestra and the dancers on stage come together to tell a gorgeous story, speaking to each other without words and to the audience by appealing to their emotions and sentiments, just as the ballet has been doing for over a hundred years.
As sophomore and ballet enthusiast Carina Ellis aptly put, “The Nutcracker is a mystical fairyland that little children enjoy every Christmas and yet it is equally sublime for adults. The Nutcracker isn’t just a ballet. It’s a family tradition. A story. A mystery. The Nutcracker inspires people of all ages to take up dance as an art form and express themselves through movement. It is a truly magical experience”. The Nutcracker has it all. The story, the music, the dancing, the acting, the performance. It is a tradition now so ingrained in the holiday season, it cannot be upstaged.