It’s that time of year again, when, in studios all over the world, toy soldiers are marching, mice are battling, flowers are waltzing, and sugar plums are dancing.  The craziness of Nutcracker has hit!  Schedules are hectic, rehearsals are long, and casts are huge.

Even if you’re in on the behind-the-scenes nuttiness of Nutcracker, however, I think you would be crazy not to love it.  Sometimes dancers groan a little at the sound of Tchaikovsky’s famous score.  I know I’m guilty!  I’ve performed in The Nutcracker probably well over one hundred times.  Still, after the initial shock of the first bellowing horns of Waltz of the Flowers, alarming me with a tinge of nervousness and the thought “It’s already that time again?!”, I’m filled with Nutcracker adrenaline and fond memories.

I’m sure most dancers have a similar experience as I when they hear Nutcracker music.  My mind begins singing my personal Nutcracker “lyrics” – conglomerations of counts, exclamations from rehearsals, and steps from the choreography I performed for years…Tombé pas de bourrée-up!, tombe pas de bourée-and-a, 5, 6, soooutenu (LAND FIFTH!)  The music evokes memories of backstage, from blasting pop music in the dressing room to an Overture good luck, or “merde,” ritual in the wings.  It almost smells like hot vanity light bulbs and eyelash glue.  It also carries memories of various stages in my dancing, as I performed various roles throughout the years, from a little toy soldier to Clara and soloist roles in Act II.

I think all dancers have a love for this annual tradition (whether they like to admit it or not).  Nutcracker can be one of the most difficult yet rewarding productions of the year for dancers.  They’re perpetually sore from back-to-back performances, but manage to transcend the exhaustion for the show.  Sometimes it’s in the face of tired delirium or aching muscles that dancers deliver their best performance, immersing themselves in their role with fatigue-suppressed inhibitions.  Through Nutcracker, dancers also have the opportunity to dance multiple roles, exploring how to bring their own personality and flare to each variation.  Select student dancers performing in the production learn so much from rehearsing and performing alongside the company to make Clara’s dream come to life.

Nutcracker is a tradition – the plot and music are consistent throughout the years.  However, tradition is not meant to be the stale “same old” year after year.  It should be like coming home, bringing your personal touch, experiences, and sense of warm happiness with you each time.

ARB’s Nutcracker gives dancers and audiences alike that feeling of home.  It has the classic features and figures of the places we all know and love – Clara’s Victorian living room; her beloved Nutcracker; the mischievous mice that haunt her; the beautiful, swirling snowflakes; and the magical grace, beauty, and virtuosic dancing in the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Kingdom of Sweets.  With these familiar scenes comes something new each performance.  A different cast of company dancers performs, bringing its own unique touches and qualities to the show.  Another student dances in the production for the first time, discovering the thrill of the stage.  And, perhaps most importantly, another audience member is taken anew on the magical journey through Clara’s childhood dream.

Whether you’ve seen and danced your way through countless Nutcrackers, or you’re experiencing The Nutcracker for the first time, you can always find something new in it to enjoy.  We hope you’ll join us with your family for ARB’s Nutcracker, a beloved holiday tradition since 1963.