Nutcracker Ballet - the Story

As we approach the Christmas season, the traditional time during which the Nutcracker Ballet receives the most attention, I am urged to find the story that is told by the ballet.

The following is only one of the interpretations, however it is also a start, or at least it is enough to inspire the reader to find out more about this magnificent work of Art. It is, without a doubt, a Christmas favorite. Read on:

The basic libretto of the Nutcracker has as many interpretations as there are staged versions. The characters' names often change and plot twists are added. The only constant is the music. Tchaikovsky's musical genius created one of the most recognizable and enduring scores ever written. An abbreviated version, the Nutcracker Suite, is one of the most recorded selections in classical repertoire. In the final analysis, it is the music that has truly given the Nutcracker a life of its own.
The Nutcracker is set in Western Europe during the 1800's. A doctor and town Mayor, Hans Stahlbaum delights in holding large holiday gatherings for family and friends. His two children, Clara and Fritz, anxiously await the arrival of guests. The snow evokes a pleasant festive atmosphere as the guests arrive. Tardy as always, Clara's godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer arrives with special fanfare. He causes quite a stir and then entertains and delights all onlookers with his exquisite mechanical dolls.

All the children receive gifts with Fritz getting a rocking hobby train. A bit jealous, Clara approaches Drosselmeyer for her gift. He teases her with a presentation of a mother mouse. Fritz pulls a baby mouse from the mother mouse's apron and sends Clara scampering. Drosselmeyer quickly makes amends and presents Clara with an unusual prize, a colorful Nutcracker. Delighted, Clara instantly is enthralled with the gift. Sibling rivalry takes hold and in a tussle to wrest the Nutcracker away from Clara, Fritz breaks him. Drosselmeyer repairs the poor Nutcracker, but Clara is disappointed. Drosselmeyer promises that all will be well.
Evening overtakes the party and the guests depart. Clara is shooed to bed. All is quiet in the Stahlbaum residency, or is it? Clara has awakened and longing for her Nutcracker comes back to the living room. She quickly finds her doll and falls asleep again. There begins her magical dream...

Thematically, Clara is cast as a teen just beginning to bud into adulthood. She is young enough to display childlike emotions, yet mature enough to fantasize that a doll turned human can have idyllic qualities of heroism, selflessness, tenderness and a zest for adventure. Her attraction to the handsome Nutcracker is only natural; Clara has created him in her mind's eye. She has molded a doll into a living being and a prince at that. Her devotion to the Nutcracker is symbolized by her brave effort to save him from being vanquished by the evil Mouse King. As the Nutcracker becomes more lifelike, the dream sequence carries her to a romantic interlude, a magical winter wonderland and an exotic garden in the Kingdom of the Sweets.
The character of Drosselmeyer has almost endless possibilities. The Seiskaya version adopts the characterization of him as Clara's godfather who is an eccentric maker of magnificent mechanical toys. A widower with no children of his own, he delights in teasing and pleasing his only godchild. Drosselmeyer's relationship to the Nutcracker is simply that of an artisan. Clara's dream vision of Drosselmeyer is an expression of her affection for him and an extension of the attributes she sees in him.
The Nutcracker has two major ensemble dances: the Dance of the Snowflakes and the Dance of the Flowers. One of the strengths of the Seiskaya Company has always been ensemble segments. Nowhere is this more evident than in these dances. Flowing lines, exact patterns and intricate interplay between corps and soloists are the hallmark of the choreography.
Cyril W. Beaumont the noted dance critic, historian and author panned the original 1934 British version of the Nutcracker. "The final scene is merely an excuse for the traditional series of character dances which, in this instance, are seldom appropriate to the situation and, generally speaking are of indifferent quality." History has proven even a revered critic like Mr. Beaumont can be wrong. The Second Act has long been considered the ballet's highlight.
The Seiskaya version of the Kingdom of the Sweets, Act II, reaffirms the classical approach. The scene opens with the Sugar Plum Fairy joined by a host of angels followed by the entrance of her court and finally Clara and the Nutcracker. Clara and the Nutcracker are presented with sweets and fruits from around the world. The members of the Sugar Plum's court represent many lands as well as characters from children's fairy tales. Clara's dream at this juncture takes on a "sugar and spice and everything nice" tone. Seiskaya's unusual choreographic adaptations frame the character ballet dances with a unique quality.

Beaumont was a lot more generous in his opinion of the Dance of the Snowflakes and in particular the Sugar Plum Pas de Deux: "...there are three beautiful 'classical numbers' - the pas de deux danced by the Sugar-Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, the latter's variation, and the 'Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy.'" Seiskaya's rendition of this famous pas de deux matches the extraordinary talents of guest artist Luciano Lazzarotto with Seiskaya Ballet's top principal ballerinas Christina Schifano, Sara Dowd and Kiersten Engel. About the pas de deux it can be said, "we saved the best for last."