The orchestra begins to play. Trumpets, clarinets and violins resound throughout the theater. The party children are in position in the wings. As the red velvet curtain ascends, the stage is flooded with light displaying a traditional 1830 Christmas party. A spotlight draws the attention of the audience as it illuminates a young girl, Clara. She is dressed in a beautiful white dress with a red satin sash.
The guests arrive and the Christmas magic begins to unfold as Uncle Drosselmeyer enters with a mechanical ballerina, a toy soldier, and a special gift for his niece. His gift is an intricately woven doll dressed in red and gold, the “Nutcracker,” a gift soon to make all little girls’ dreams come true.
Like eggnog, mistletoe, snowflakes and candy canes, The Nutcracker Suite Ballet has become a family tradition, a holiday spectacular, where the magic of Christmas dreams are brought to life through Pytor Tchaikovsky’s score and Marius Petipa’s choreography.
The Triangle Youth Ballet brings The Nutcracker to the Durham and Chapel Hill area in an effort to instill an appreciation for the arts while bringing the Christmas spirit to life. With a cast of 100 students, this production is “geared to be accessible especially for young children” TYB director Lauren Lorentz de Haaz says.
“It’s a beautiful tradition filled with holiday spirit for the whole family,” says party scene mother Laura Janda, whose dedication to the production stemmed from her daughter’s delight in dancing the role of a mouse.
Premiering in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892, The Nutcracker was originally performed by the Kirov Ballet and choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. A tradition for more than 100 years, people the world over know the story and can hum Tchaikovsky’s Sugar Plum variation.
Children often dream of the most enchantingly perfect gift, capable of transporting them to a magical kingdom; and who better to transport but the most beautiful ballerina a child could imagine. “The Nutcracker brings this fantasy to life for all the young children who experience its magic,” says Amanda Parker, former TYB student and current Duke dancer.
In the spirit of giving, many in the North Carolina community attend this performance, especially since “TYB is a non-profit organization, so people feel they are doing a good thing by supporting all of the children,” says the Dew Drop Fairy, Grace Anthony.
"People see the holiday season as something magical.” snow soloist Alyx Cullen says. “North Carolina is a place where sometimes we miss out on the enchantment of a white Christmas. The Nutcracker has the ability to bring that missing element of magic to life.”
As snow begins to fall, Clara embarks on her journey to the Kingdom of the Sweets where Uncle Drosselmeyer has brought her Nutcracker to life. Divertissements from Spain, Arabia, China, Russia and England dance for her enjoyment.
As a last gift, the Sugar Plum Fairy dances with her Cavalier, creating the Kingdom’s most precious magical moments. As the curtain falls, the Sugar Plum Fairy exits in the fog and Clara is left to wonder if it was all a dream….
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