Ballet Dancing and the Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a old Christmas favourite, and Clara and her Nutcracker Prince appear on the stage more than any of the other ballet characters.
The Nutcracker was first performed in St Petersburg (Leningrad) on the 18th of December 1892.
It was not a huge success at first, as the audiences of the time found Tchaikovsky's beautiful music difficult to understand.
Most of the original choreography has been lost, but the charming Christmas story still delights audiences world wide.
Marius Petipa planned The Nutcracker in great detail with Tchaikovsky, but then fell ill.
Lev Ivanov was then given the task of creating the actual steps.
Up until now Ivanov had always been kept in the background and Petipa had taken some of the credit for his work, but on this occasion, the great lyrical talent and musicality were fully credited to Ivanov.
Since then there have been countless productions done in different ways.
One of the most entertaining versions was done by George Balanchine for the New York City Ballet.
His production is full of magical moments, including a giant Christmas tree and loads of other special effects.
The story of the Nutcracker: Mayor Stahlbaum gives a Christmas Eve party for his children, Clara and Fritz.
Their friends and parents arrive and also a mysterious visitor who brings unusual gifts.
His name is Herr Drosselmeyer, and he gives Clara a nutcracker doll.
Fritz gets a soldier's uniform and he and his friends start to tease the girls.
Clara's nutcracker doll is broken, but Drosselmeyer mends it and then produces some dancing dolls to entertain the children.
Later that night Clara is too exited to sleep and comes down to the drawing room to see her doll.
As she bends down by the Christmas tree, Drosselmeyer appears and makes the Christmas tree grow magically.
He also makes the doll come alive.
The Nutcracker and his soldiers are attacked by hordes of mice led by the evil Mouse King.
The Nutcracker falls and the Mouse King moves in for the kill, but Clara throws one of her ballet slippers at him.
The Mouse King while distracted is surprised when the Nutcracker regains the advantage and kills him.
Drosselmeyer then transforms the Nutcracker into a handsome prince who then takes Clara on a magical journey.
They travel though the snow, meeting with the snow queen and her snow flakes.
They then visit the land of sweets, and Clara meets the sugar plum fairy.
The prince tells her how Clara saved him and the sweets then dance for her to entertain her.
She watches in awe all the performances including a beautiful Waltz of the flowers.
The Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy do a grand pas de deux.
Drosselmeyer then arrives with the Nutcracker doll and everything fades away.
Mayor and Mrs Stahlbaum come into the drawing room to look for Clara and find her fast asleep beneath the tree holding her Nutcracker doll.
She looks as though she is having the most marvellous dream.
The Nutcracker was first performed in St Petersburg (Leningrad) on the 18th of December 1892.
It was not a huge success at first, as the audiences of the time found Tchaikovsky's beautiful music difficult to understand.
Most of the original choreography has been lost, but the charming Christmas story still delights audiences world wide.
Marius Petipa planned The Nutcracker in great detail with Tchaikovsky, but then fell ill.
Lev Ivanov was then given the task of creating the actual steps.
Up until now Ivanov had always been kept in the background and Petipa had taken some of the credit for his work, but on this occasion, the great lyrical talent and musicality were fully credited to Ivanov.
Since then there have been countless productions done in different ways.
One of the most entertaining versions was done by George Balanchine for the New York City Ballet.
His production is full of magical moments, including a giant Christmas tree and loads of other special effects.
The story of the Nutcracker: Mayor Stahlbaum gives a Christmas Eve party for his children, Clara and Fritz.
Their friends and parents arrive and also a mysterious visitor who brings unusual gifts.
His name is Herr Drosselmeyer, and he gives Clara a nutcracker doll.
Fritz gets a soldier's uniform and he and his friends start to tease the girls.
Clara's nutcracker doll is broken, but Drosselmeyer mends it and then produces some dancing dolls to entertain the children.
Later that night Clara is too exited to sleep and comes down to the drawing room to see her doll.
As she bends down by the Christmas tree, Drosselmeyer appears and makes the Christmas tree grow magically.
He also makes the doll come alive.
The Nutcracker and his soldiers are attacked by hordes of mice led by the evil Mouse King.
The Nutcracker falls and the Mouse King moves in for the kill, but Clara throws one of her ballet slippers at him.
The Mouse King while distracted is surprised when the Nutcracker regains the advantage and kills him.
Drosselmeyer then transforms the Nutcracker into a handsome prince who then takes Clara on a magical journey.
They travel though the snow, meeting with the snow queen and her snow flakes.
They then visit the land of sweets, and Clara meets the sugar plum fairy.
The prince tells her how Clara saved him and the sweets then dance for her to entertain her.
She watches in awe all the performances including a beautiful Waltz of the flowers.
The Prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy do a grand pas de deux.
Drosselmeyer then arrives with the Nutcracker doll and everything fades away.
Mayor and Mrs Stahlbaum come into the drawing room to look for Clara and find her fast asleep beneath the tree holding her Nutcracker doll.
She looks as though she is having the most marvellous dream.
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