“The Nutcracker®” by New York City Ballet turned an obscure ballet into the world’s most popular ballet.
Maria Tallchief, New York City Ballet’s and America’s first prima ballerina, was the first sugar plum fairy. She was a Native American Osage Nation. George Balanchine was in love with her. The combination of his choreography and her dancing made “The Nutcracker” what it is today.
Today “The Nutcracker” is the major source of funding for ballet companies around the world. It all started here in New York City with Mr. B at New York City Ballet.
New York City Ballet “The Nutcracker” 2023
George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” by New York City Ballet, is at the David H Koch Theater in Lincoln Center, from Friday, November 24 – December 31, 2023. From $95. nycballet.com
Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” is America’s Big Nutcracker
The New York City Ballet “Nutcracker” is a big production. Tschaikovsky’s score and Balanchine’s choreography are presented by 90 dancers, 62 musicians, 32 stagehands and a rotating cast of more than 125 children from New York City Ballet’s School of American Ballet. This ballet gives many young dancers their first experience on stage. And what a stage.
New York City Ballet turns us all back into children with a one-ton Christmas tree that grows from 12 feet to 40 feet ~ right before your eyes. The costume for Mother Ginger, the dancer with all those children under her dress, weighs 85 pounds, is nine feet wide, and requires a stage crew of three. Somehow they keep all those snowflakes white through 47 performances.
The First African Diaspora Marie
City Ballet made ballet history in 2019 by casting Charlotte Nebres as the first African Diaspora child Marie.
Isn’t it wonderful how great art predicts the future? In 2019, nobody could have foreseen that in six months Black Lives Matter would become one of America’s most pressing social issues. But this is how great art works. It’s as if it has a mind of its own. Thank you City Ballet for understanding how important it is to be able to see yourself up on stage.