No more results on this page
The Nutcracker On Tour
Every adaptation of The Nutcracker is the same, yet each The Nutcracker is different from all others. Although it premiered in Saint Petersburg's Mariinsky Theatre on December 18, 1892, composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker wouldn't become the dependably magical holiday-season reaffirmation of Christmas joy we know and love until decades later.
Marius Petipa, who commissioned Tchaikovsky's music, and Lev Ivanov originally choreographed the world's most popular ballet. It was loosely based on Alexandre Dumas' The Story of a Nutcracker, the French writer's adaptation of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, which was a fantastical story by German author E.T.A. Hoffmann. Mourning the recent death of his sister, Tchaikovsky was often unhappy while composing the work, which he nonetheless imbued with some of his most enduringly gorgeous music. (The descending melody in the adagio section of the "Grand Pas de Deux" is said to reflect his feelings.)
Russian ballet was flourishing at the time The Nutcracker debuted, and no expense was spared. In Petipa's production, 60 snowflakes wore long white tutus and matching crowns adorned with fluff balls. The battle scene's soldiers, meanwhile, were recruited from a military academy rather than ballet school, leading to a less-than-elegant confrontation.
The Nutcracker was fated to become more popular abroad than in its birthplace, and was subsequently tailored to suit its new audiences. Encouraged by local Russian émigrés, Willam Christensen mounted the first full American production in San Francisco in 1944. Ten years later, George Balanchine choreographed a landmark version for the New York City Ballet, imbuing it with what Nutcracker Nation author Jennifer Fisher calls its "familial feeling." Balanchine's version was broadcast on national television a few years later with narration by June Lockhart (of Lassie fame).
While nearly every subsequent version of The Nutcracker contains falling snow, fighting mice, dancing candy, and a growing tree (asked to produce it without the tree, Balanchine reportedly replied, "No, the ballet is the tree"), some intriguing mutations have emerged. These include Nutcrackers on ice, the animated adaptation Walt Disney included in the 1940 movie Fantasia, and The Harlem Nutcracker, a swinging jazz revision by choreographer Donald Byrd.
A remarkably resilient blend of complex classical ballet, popular imagery, and holiday nostalgia, The Nutcracker has taken on a life of its own since it first appeared one cold Russian winter over 100 years ago.
Extremely well done. Thank you Corpus Christi Ballet Co. for a very enjoyable evening. We are looking forward to next year. If it was playing again, would really consider on going back.
We saw this ballet -same troupe- last year. Much better last year. This year so many things were off as if there was a lack of preparation and /or rehearsal for some things.
Great performance, loved the dancers. My 4 year old was interested through the entire performance.
I assume this is a school play, or a small community play. We came all the way from Houston, thinking that this is the actual show and we will be seeing the real Nutcracker ballet. There are only a couple of ballerinas in this show, and the rest of the cast are neither ballerinas or actors. We were so disappointed, so we left early. We went to Houston's show the next day, and oh my god, a world of difference. Corpus Christi's show is only for those who want to support the talents in their local community. It is not for anyone who wants to see the show presented by professional ballerinas.
I took my 7 year old niece to this ballet and we both loved it. The Rialto Theatre was amazing as well. A perfect experience for the both of us.
This particular performance was just OK. I've seen the show there before by other dance companies and this particular performance was mediocre
Very enjoyable. The principal dancers were excellent and the other dancers were good. The BPO was also excellent.
Waste of money, same quality as a school play. False advertising made me think it was the Four Seasons performance.
The Nutcracker ballet was a wonderful experience. Great dancing & music
Not the best nutcracker I have seen in terms of dancers, but the event was still very enjoyable. The Detroit area needs their own premier headliner Ballet company.
Loved the entire experience, dancers were impressive, costumes great and set. Style of the show demonstrated exceptional skills and abilities of the Neglia Ballet, while still fun and entertaining for all ages. BPO was exceptional and Girl Choir of 6 - 9 year olds melted our heart.
The BPO was great, most of the dancers were fantastic. There were a few unfamiliar artistic liberties this production took, and for me I wasn't a fan - I prefer to relive the classic Nutcracker of my youth. But it was still a great way to kick off the holiday season and get in the spirit.
For someone who danced in the Nutcracker for 6 years, it was so amazing to be able to come to Shea's and finally watch the performance of the Nutcracker. The Neglia Ballet company did an amazing job and the dancers performed with such skill and emotion. The BPO playing live made the performance even more spectacular. The Nutcracker is always the start of our Christmas season and I can't wait to come back next year to see this performance.
We prefer a more classic traditional production of the Nutcracker. This one introduced some modern flair.
This performance of Nutcracker was not my most favorite. Many of the costumes were not very inspired. The ballet was shortened and I was disappointed that it wasn't actually completed. However, the most important aspect of the ballet was the dancing and it was superb. Just spectacular!
This ballet was good, however it was not amazing and the tickets were very expensive for it to just be average. I am not a professional dancer and I fully recognize the talent and hard work that goes into being able to do what they do, however you could visibly see dancers shaking and getting off balanced. Some of the dance themes just didn't seem to fit either or were just rather dull. I will say the orchestra was amazing!
I haven't seen The Nutcracker since I was a kid. My mom, daughter and I attended this performance by Inland Pacific Ballet. It was beautiful and professional. None of us were disappointed, and we look forward to attending again next year.
It was very entertaining. The dancers were incredible and the orchestra was amazing.
This was my first experience with ballet, and it seemed like the genuine article. People danced, music played, and I never got the feeling that it was just Boise's version of The Nutcracker. In summation, I don't know anything, but what I saw was really great.
The nutcracker is a family tradition. Ballet Idaho does not disappoint. The sets are excellent, you are taken away to another world. The dancers of Ballet Idaho perform all of the dances with passion and energy. Go and see the ballet. I had people next to me that are not 'ballet' people and loved it! If you see something amazing don't forget to clap and clap loud. Applause is so inspirational to the dancers on stage; you don't have to wait until the piece is finished. Trust me the dancers will love it! Ballet Idaho will give you many reasons to applaud.