Christmas is a time of year ripe with tradition. The gathering of family and friends for staff Christmas parties, and having to fight to get a cab. From New York to LA, Prague to London, and Toronto to Calgary, one of the holiday’s biggest classics is the story of The Nutcracker.
Alberta Ballet is taking their version of The Nutcracker on a tour of Western Canada. Choreographed by Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissenen, the play will be performed in a number of cities including Spokane, Washington, Vancouver and Victoria. The show runs at the Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton December 15th to 17th and in Calgary December 21st to Christmas Eve.
Based on the book called The Nutcracker and the Mouse King written by E.T.A. Hoffman, choreographer Marius Petipa commissioned Tchaikovsky to write the music for the ballet in 1891. The first showing took place at the Mariinsky Theatre of Russia in 1892, and made its way across Western Europe in the 1930’s, arrived in America in 1940. The first American version was performed by the San Francisco ballet, and it has become a holiday tradition ever since.
The story is that of little Clara Silberhaus; her parents are hosting their annual Christmas Eve party, welcoming the arrival of their family and friends. Clara and her brother Fritz are dancing and playing as they welcome their friends too. Godfather Drosselmyer, a skilled clock and toy maker, arrives and gives the children each gifts’, including a Nutcracker doll for Clara that Fritz promptly breaks. Drosselmyer fixes it, and Clara later falls asleep under the Christmas Tree with her toy.
She is swept away to a world of magic where her beloved Nutcracker doll comes to life to do battle with the Mouse King and a host of mousy followers. After the prince is triumphant he leads her to a snowy land ruled over by the Snow King and Queen and their twirling Snowflakes. A golden swan arrives to transport them to the Land of the Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy greets them. In celebration of Clara’s arrival, the dashing Spanish, mysterious Arabians, playful Chinese, powerful Russians, and, of course, the Sugar Plum Fairy, dance for the young honored guest. Time flies by until suddenly at the height of the wonderful dancing Clara awakes on the sofa of her family’s home clutching the Nutcracker doll.
The show features local children from each city in the roles of party guest, toy soldiers, mice, and angels. Over 36 dancers are involved in this magical production and 40 children from the five cities. The Nutcracker is the biggest and brightest event of the holiday season with exquisite and festive costumes for the many memorable characters. They utilize stunning original sets such as the elegant parlor with the mysterious growing Christmas tree, the ethereal snow forest, and the Sugarplum Fairy’s magnificent palace.
Continue or begin anew your own Christmas tradition by partaking in the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy this Christmas, with Alberta Ballet.
The Nutcracker
Jubilee Auditorium
Edmonton December 15th – 17th
Calgary December 21st to 24th
Tickets at Ticketmaster
www.albertaballet.com
