A must-see show in New York this holiday season, New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker is considered “The” leading production in the world. While many companies don’t involve children in their performance, New York City Ballet gives them priority. And the magic of Christmas begins…
An integral part of Christmas traditions, many New Yorkers wouldn’t miss the New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker. This magical ballet is presented from the end of November until December 31 in the impressive David H. Koch Theater; It is suitable for young and old who come out of the show with stars in their eyes. It must be said that the New York production of The Nutcracker is considered the world benchmark.
© 2014 Paul Kolnik
New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker, a grandiose staging frees the imagination of spectators
Sumptuous costumes, elaborate stage elements and extraordinary visual effects contribute to the reputation of the New York City Ballet production. At each performance no less than 40 stagehands are mobilized.
One of the key elements of the scenography is the one-ton Christmas tree which grows from 3 meters to 12 meters, inevitably causing murmurs of admiration in the room. The costume of Mother Gigogne, a memorable figure in the story, also meets all the challenges; Almost 3 meters wide and weighing almost 40 kilos, it will take three people and a pulley to handle it and have it put on by the dancer. For the famous Waltz of the Snowflakes, another highlight of the show, crystal-shaped snowflakes are used. Collected and preserved to be reused, they bring additional purity and magic to this painting.
In the middle of this sumptuous decor, the massive presence of children, a signature of the New York City Ballet production, makes the stage even more immense and gives a particular enchantment to the show.
© 2016 Paul Kolnik
By putting children first, New York City Ballet offers a unique approach
When George Balanchine created The Nutcracker for the New York City Ballet in 1954, his stated desire was to put children at the heart of this ballet. A young dancer within the Imperial Ballets of Saint Petersburg and without much conviction for this art, George Balanchine associated the revelation of his vocation with the discovery of the stage. Wishing to offer a setting for expression to the students of his school, the School of American Ballet, Balanchine had designed his Nutcracker in order to offer adapted and evolving choreographies. So from approximately 8 to 12 years old, depending on their level and size, students from the School of American Ballet (SAB), affiliated with the New York City Ballet, will be able to pretend to perform different roles within the famous company.
Known for his talent in teaching young dancers, Balanchine knew that certain things are learned more on stage than in the classroom, notably how to work and move together to create a variety of formations necessary to produce a ballet. Each role is designed according to the learning necessary for its realization: from angels where you have to know how to count and do a diagonal, to the Christmas party which requires a presence on stage for 25 minutes during which you have to interpret a role and move together to the roles of Polichinelle and Sucre d’orge where you have to perform real choreography. Each year, 125 children divided into 2 alternating casts are selected for this super production.
Being on stage for New York City Ballet’s The Nutcracker is the dream of every School of American Ballet (SAB) student, but it’s a real commitment for both children and parents. After being deprived of it for a year due to COVID, Bérénice has been part of this incredible adventure for two years; she and her parents tell us.
Bérénice, a little French girl in the production of The Nutcracker
“For me, dancing on stage with the New York City Ballet is magical”
Auditions for young SAB dancers take place in mid-September. Many of them will have a role but not always the one hoped for. This year, Bérénice was selected for the role of Polichinelle. At 11 years old, rehearsals have been going on since October, during the week after school and during the day on Sundays. Bérénice is lucky enough to live next to Lincoln Center where the show and rehearsals take place, but this is not the case for all the children. Because the SAB wants to reflect New York’s diversity and constantly promotes itself and recruits from all strata of the population and from all four corners of New York City.
From the end of November to the end of December, Bérénice will perform 25 performances on weekends and weekdays. For this French family, there is no question of returning to France for the end of year celebrations.
During the week, the show starts at 7 p.m. but Bérénice will have to be there an hour before, not counting the hour that her mother will have spent before doing her hair at home. Little time for homework on performance evenings. In addition, outside of scheduled performances, Bérénice, like all ballet children, must be able to replace her double at short notice if necessary.
The show ends at 10 p.m., Bérénice returns home late and it is sometimes very difficult to fall asleep when you have glitter in your eyes. In 6th grade at the French Lycée in New York, she can count on the kindness and understanding of this establishment to find solutions during this period. And Bérénice concludes: “It’s a lot of work and I miss a lot of things at my age like going out, parties and sleepovers with my friends, but when I’m on stage I know it’s worth it! »
There is no doubt that a vocation is born…
2023-12-18 17:10:05
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