Anyone who has seen a live, staged production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker—a perennial favorite of audiences of all ages during the holiday season—knows that it looks and feels, well, magical.
But putting together this ballet adaptation of E.T.A. Hoffman’s fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, about a girl who befriends a nutcracker that comes to life on Christmas Eve and wages a battle against the evil Mouse King, requires long hours on the part of the dancers and a host of key people working behind-the-scenes to make that “magic” come to life.
For the Oklahoma Festival Ballet, the resident ballet company of the University of Oklahoma School of Dance, the opportunity to work this magic comes but once every four years, a schedule that allows every ballet major at the university to participate.
"We have a fantastic group of students from across the country and the world in the OU School of Dance who are dedicating their full focus, passion and energy into preparing for The Nutcracker,” noted Michael Bearden, director of the OU School of Dance.
“This year marks the 60th anniversary of the School of Dance, which was founded by Miguel Terekhov and Yvonne Chouteau,” he said. “I am thrilled that we are bringing back to the stage dance faculty member and former school director Mary Margaret Holt's production, as she was a student of our founders and mentored greatly by them in her career. Her version of this holiday classic provides our students the opportunity to rise to technical and artistic challenges and further develop their skills as young artists.”
Holt, who also holds the Nichols' Chair and is a Regents' Professor and Presidential Professor, disclosed that even longtime Oklahoma Festival Ballet Nutcracker fans can expect to discover new elements and twists in this year’s production.
“Even if a company performs the same choreography each year with the same design elements present, the production may have a different ‘feel’ because the dancers often bring their own special qualities to the ballet,” she explains. “This is something I enjoy when restaging any ballet, and I relish making small (or not so small) changes that highlight their abilities.
“This year, Hannah Jew, a graduate of the School of Dance, joins us to create new choreography for what is generally called the Chinese Divertissement,” she added. “Hannah is a beautiful classical dancer who has enhanced her range with the study and performance of classical Chinese dance. We are delighted she has agreed to choreograph a Ribbon Dance incorporating elements of both forms for our production this year.”
Holt added, “Although The Nutcracker is very much a beloved production and we have great respect for its tradition, with each new staging we want it to appear fresh to our audience and to our dancers. We often suspend reality in ballet, but I like creating threads through the production such as the toy mice the children play with during the party scene becoming the mice in Clara’s dream and the military cadet who is Drosselmeyer’s nephew becoming the Nutcracker Prince.
“In terms of the dancers,” she added, “I think it is important to challenge them to a degree with the choreography so that they become aware of their growing artistry and approach to their work. By October, many of the dancers are in rehearsal nearly 20 hours per week. Some of the passages are quite extended but the dancers must ‘magically’ dance as though they are a joyful, natural response to the music.
“Performing a full-length ballet is artistically and physically challenging but sharing this story through music, design and choreographic expression also results in a great sense of personal and artistic fulfillment.”
The OU School of Dance has drawn on talent outside the school, as well as in it, to stage this major production, including several from the Helmerich School of Drama and Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre in the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts. In fact, a faculty member from the School of Drama, Thomas Chavira, will be playing the role of Mother Ginger.
Holt observed: “Students from the School of Drama play a huge role in the production of The Nutcracker as they—in addition to others from Musical Theatre and Modern Dance—provide the lighting, props, costume, stage, electrics, deck, stage management (for the young cast members), and front-of-house crews. There are literally about as many people working backstage as on stage … we couldn't do it without them!”
As in years past, young dancers from the community also are involved. The school held an open call in September for young dancers ages 8-16 with two-plus years of ballet training to audition for roles as Party Guests, Mice, Soldiers, Pages and Harlequins; others will perform with the orchestra conducted by Jonathan Shames. Others will perform with the orchestra, conducted by Jonathan Shames.
In addition to Dean Holt as choreographer, this year’s behind-the-scenes “magic” makers include:
- Mike Buchwald and Lloyd Cracknell, responsible for designing the beautiful costumes that are so critical in creating the magic of the storybook tale put to dance
- Boyko Dossev, director of Oklahoma Festival Ballet (who’s also performing the role of Dr. Drosselmeyer)
- Richard Sprecker, lighting design, and Michael Sullivan and Ann Sheffield, scenic design; additionally, the production will feature a new Act 2 backdrop designed by Uldarico Sarmiento, a freelance scenic designer, originally from Lima, Peru, currently serving on the OU School of Drama faculty.
For many, no Christmas would be complete without going to see a production of The Nutcracker. Holt has some ideas on why it’s so popular.
“This question (regarding its ongoing popularity) has been asked endlessly over the years since various versions of The Nutcracker were first seen in the United States in the 1940s, about 50 years after its premier in Russia,” she said. “There must be many answers, especially since The Nutcracker is performed more often in this country than any other in the world.
“I think The Nutcracker is beloved because of the soaring score, which Tchaikovsky considered one of his best; because it speaks of family and holiday tradition, the ‘magic’ of certain times of the year, whatever they may be; and the fact that The Nutcracker is the first ballet many people ever see. It transports all who see it into a land of mystery and make-believe with such humanemotions that it has survived countless production changes in location, era and style.”
Partake of the magic! University Theatre’s production of The Nutcracker will be staged at 8 p.m. Dec. 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 and at 3 p.m. Dec. 2, 3, 9 and 10 in the Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave. To purchase tickets, contact the box office at 405.325-4101 Monday through Friday between 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. or starting one hour before show time.
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Several dancers cast in The Nutcracker shared their thoughts (some edited for length) about the experience.
Vitoria Correia, 22, São Paulo, Brazil
“The Nutcracker is a remarkable production from Petipa* that is being choreographed by our dean, Mary Margaret Holt. Being in this production is so special because it happens at OU once every four years so every student has the chance to perform it once. This experience has been challenging for me so far, many hours of rehearsal to find the balance between technique and the freedom of artistry. The faculty and the students are preparing the production with refinement and passion. From the figurines to the props, all is being carefully prepared to give the audience the best experience of this magical performance.”
Kira Robinson, 21, Atlanta
“I have been looking forward to performing in The Nutcracker since I was a freshman coming into the program. It's so surreal to realize that I'm now a senior, four years have flown by, and this is really happening! I am super-excited to be a part of this and feel incredibly blessed to share the stage one last time with some of the lifelong friends that I’ve made through this program.”
Julian Cottrell, 21, Fort Worth, Texas
“I wanted to be in this production because I feel as if it is a great opportunity to perform so many contrasting parts in the same ballet. Spanish is different from Papillion, which is different from Sugar Plum, and when you put them all in the same show, it both challenges you as an artist and is an extremely engaging and fun task to take on!”
Gabrielle Brown, 21, Greer, South Carolina
“The Nutcracker has held a special place in my heart since I started to dance so many years ago. When the music plays, childhood memories echo, but I am also reminded of the growth I have experienced as a dancer and my aspiration to perform in the future. I feel so lucky to be a part of bringing the timeless magic of this production to the local community."
* Marius Petipa (1818–1910) was one of the most influential figures of classical ballet. His choreography forms the basis of several of The Royal Ballet's productions, including The Nutcracker. Lev Ivanov (1834-1901) did most of the choreography when Petipa fell ill.
“Performing a full-length ballet is artistically and physically challenging but sharing this story through music, design and choreographic expression also results in a great sense of personal and artistic fulfillment.”