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Home > Hancher > The Nutcracker

Joffrey Ballet - The Nutcracker (December 9-12, 2004)

Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. The Nutcracker
  3. Synopsis
  4. Program
  5. About the Artists
  6. The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra
  7. The Chorus
  8. Joffrey Ballet
  9. The Nutcracker fulfills holiday dreams for young dancers

Introduction

Performances supported by Mary Keough Lyman and the Sugar Plum Visionaries

The Joffrey Ballet

Artists of the Company

Heather Aagard, Deanne Brown, Fabrice Calmels Orlando Julius Canova, Ariel Cisneros, April Daly, Deborah Dawn (assistant ballet master) Erica Lynette Edwards, John Gluckman, David Gombert, Jennifer Goodman Ikolo Griffin, Victoria Jaiani, Stacy Joy Keller, Julianne Kepley Calvin Kitten, Peter Kozak, Britta Lazenga, Michael Levine, Suzanne Lopez Dallas Lundquist, Brian McSween, Thomas Nicholas, Masayoshi Onuki Emily Patterson, Samuel Pergande, Megan Quiroz, Valerie Robin John Ross, Jacqueline Sherwood, Willy Shives (assistant ballet master), Michael Smith Temur Suluashvili, Kathleen Thielhelm, Mauro Villanueva, Maia Wilkins Ariana Wistrich, Joanna Wozniak, Yukari Yasui

Arpino Apprentices

Matthew Adamczyk, Derrick Agnoletti, Anastacia Holden Brooklyn Mack, Aaron Rogers, Lauren Stewart, Allison Walsh

The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra

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The Nutcracker

A Ballet in Two Acts based on E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (1816)

World Premiere: The Joffrey Ballet, December 10, 1987, Hancher Auditorium, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa.

A Robert Joffrey Production

*After the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo 1940 production that was revived by Alexandra Fedorova from the original Petipa/Ivanov production for the Maryinsky Ballet.

Assistants

Thanks

The Joffrey Ballet wishes to extend its deepest appreciation to the donors whose generosity made the creation of our production of The Nutcracker possible:

A special thank you to Edith D'Addario, Director of The Joffrey Ballet School, for her time, commitment and invaluable help on this production.

The Joffrey Ballet extends its appreciation to Halston Enterprises and Mr. Carl Epstein, as well as special thanks to the Donald L. Bren Foundation for the refurbishment of The Nutcracker costumes.

In memory of Patrick John Kennedy and Daniel Downing Kennedy.

Refurbishment of Clara's horse graciously provided by the Duchossois Foundation.

Appreciations are also expressed to the Fleisher Collection of orchestral music at the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Glinka Museum of Musical Culture in Moscow, where the original score of The Nutcracker is housed.

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Synopsis

Act 1, Scene 1

It is Christmas Eve in an American city in the 1850s. Mayor and Mrs. Stahlbaum and their domestic help are preparing for a party. The two children, Clara and Fritz, join their parents in the parlor and enthuse over the Christmas tree and its treasures. Soon their guests arrive laden with gifts. The last to appear are the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer, Clara and Fritz's godfather, and Drosselmeyer's nephew. They have brought many wonderful gifts and surprises for the Stahlbaums and their friends. Young and old are delighted and amused by the mechanical dolls - Columbine, Harlequin, the Vivandiere, and the Soldier - which dance for the guests. As a special gift for Clara, Dr. Drosselmeyer has brought a Nutcracker. Fritz, who with his friends has been teasing the girls, snatches it away and accidentally breaks it. Godfather Drosselmeyer bandages the Nutcracker and comforts the heartbroken Clara. But now it grows late; the guests take their leave, and the family goes upstairs to bed.

Act 1, Scene 2

It is midnight. Everyone is sleeping but Clara, who has returned to the parlor to fetch her Nutcracker from under the tree. She hears a noise. A small mouse scurries by, then another. The mice begin to tease her, but Godfather Drosselmeyer has returned to chase them away and transform the small Nutcracker into a life-size Nutcracker Doll. All at once the parlor disappears, and the Christmas tree grows before our very eyes. The toy soldiers that have been standing guard under the tree have grown to life size. The Nutcracker Doll summons the soldiers to battle with the mice, who are now led by the seven-headed Mouse King. Clara returns with her Godfather Drosselmeyer, and just in time she throws her slipper at the Mouse King and saves the Nutcracker Doll. With Clara's kiss, he is transformed into the Nutcracker Prince, who bears a striking resemblance to Dr. Drosselmeyer's nephew.

Act 1, Scene 3

Godfather Drosselmeyer leads Clara and the Nutcracker Prince into the Land of Snow. Here they meet the Snow Queen and King, who look remarkably like Clara's Mother and Father, and the Snow Prince, who reminds her of Fritz. The enchanted journey continues to the Kingdom of Sweets.

Act 2

The Sugar Plum Fairy welcomes Clara, the Nutcracker Prince, and Dr. Drosselmeyer to the Kingdom of Sweets. The Nutcracker Prince tells the Sugar Plum Fairy about their magical battle with the mice. Gifts are presented to Clara. The subjects of this enchanted kingdom are the dolls from under Clara's tree. The divertissements from all over the world and all the flowers from her Victorian bouquet have grown to life size and dance in her honor. But all dreams must come to an end, and children must return home to their loving families. So, Clara too must depart the land of dreams and return home where her parents wait to welcome her back.

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Program

Thursday, December 9, 7:30 p.m.

Artists subject to change.

Act 1, Scene 1 (A Victorian Parlor)

Act 1, Scene 2 (The Magical Battleground)

Act 1, Scene 3 (The Land of Snow)

Enchanted Journey to the Kingdom of Sweets

Intermission

Act 2 (The Kingdom of Sweets)

Act 2 (Waltz of the Flowers, A Victorian Bouquet)

Act 2 (Grand Pas De Deux)

Finale

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Friday, December 10, 7:30 p.m.

Artists Subject to Change

Act 1, Scene 1 (A Victorian Parlor)

Act 1, Scene 2 (The Magical Battleground)

Act 1, Scene 3 (The Land of Snow)

Enchanted Journey to the Kingdom of Sweets

Intermission

Act 2 (The Kingdom of Sweets)

Act 2 (Waltz of the Flowers, A Victorian Bouquet)

Act 2 (Grand Pas De Deux)

Finale

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Saturday, December 11, 2:00 p.m.

Artists Subject to Change

Act 1, Scene 1 (A Victorian Parlor)

Act 1, Scene 2 (The Magical Battleground)

Act 1, Scene 3 (The Land of Snow)

Enchanted Journey to the Kingdom of Sweets

Intermission

Act 2 (The Kingdom of Sweets)

Act 2 (Waltz of the Flowers, A Victorian Bouquet)

Act 2 (Grand Pas De Deux)

Finale

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Saturday, December 11, 7:30 p.m.

Artists Subject to Change

Act 1, Scene 1 (A Victorian Parlor)

Act 1, Scene 2 (The Magical Battleground)

Act 1, Scene 3 (The Land of Snow)

Enchanted Journey to the Kingdom of Sweets

Intermission

Act 2 (The Kingdom of Sweets)

Act 2 (Waltz of the Flowers, A Victorian Bouquet)

Act 2 (Grand Pas De Deux)

Finale

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Sunday, December 12, 2 p.m.

Artists Subject to Change

Act 1, Scene 1 (A Victorian Parlor)

Act 1, Scene 2 (The Magical Battleground)

Act 1, Scene 3 (The Land of Snow)

Enchanted Journey to the Kingdom of Sweets

Intermission

Act 2 (The Kingdom of Sweets)

Act 2 (Waltz of the Flowers, A Victorian Bouquet)

Act 2 (Grand Pas De Deux)

Finale

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About the Artists

The Joffrey Ballet

Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino's uniquely American vision of dance first took form in 1956. The original company consisted of six dynamic and highly individual dancers. While Joffrey stayed in New York to teach ballet classes and earn money to pay the dancers' salaries, Arpino led the troupe as they crossed the American heartland (every night a different venue) in a station wagon. They would unload the car, rosin the stage, set the lights, iron the costumes, and prepare for the evening's performance. Yet what really set them apart was their repertoire of original ballets by Joffrey.

The Joffrey Ballet became the first American company to tour the former Soviet Union and the first dance company to perform at the White House. Joffrey and Arpino set trends by commissioning early and new ballets from Alvin Ailey, Laura Dean, Jirí Kylian, Mark Morris, and Twyla Tharp, to name only a few. The company became known for its reconstructions of "lost" works from the early 20th century, primarily Diaghilev's Les Ballets Russes. The company's repertoire spans the gamut of 20th-century choreography, from the cubist style of pre- and post- World War I Paris, the Americana of the old West (DeMille's Rodeo and Loring's Billy the Kid), and the counterculture freedom of the '60s (Arpino's Trinity, The Clowns, and Sacred Grove on Mount Tamalpais, and Joffrey's Astarte), to the MTV generation (Billboards with music by Prince.)

Gerald Arpino

Gerald Arpino (Founder and Artistic Director) was born in Staten Island, New York. He co-founded The Joffrey Ballet with Robert Joffrey in 1956 and served as associate director. Upon Joffrey's death in 1988, Arpino succeeded him as artistic director. A leading dancer with the company in its early years, Arpino choreographed his first work, Ropes, in 1961. Shortly thereafter, he became the company's resident choreographer. To date, he has created more than one-third of the company's repertoire. His ballets are in the repertoires of companies around the world. Arpino is the first choreographer commissioned to create a ballet to honor the office of the American presidency; he was the first American commissioned by a city, San Antonio, to create a ballet. In 1993, he produced America's first full-evening rock ballet, Billboards, set to the music of Prince. Arpino has received numerous awards and honors over his long and prestigious career. In 1995, he moved The Joffrey Ballet to Chicago.

Robert Joffrey

Robert Joffrey (Founder) was born in Seattle, Washington in 1930 and died in New York City in 1988. In 1953, he established The Joffrey Ballet School/ American Ballet Center. In 1956 he founded The Joffrey Ballet - an ensemble of American dancers for whom he choreographed, taught, commissioned original ballets, and reconstructed rare classics. In the process, he built what is now acknowledged to be one of the major international dance companies. Joffrey was a master teacher and a respected authority on dance. He was sought after worldwide as an adjudicator for festivals and competitions. His Legacy lives on not only in his company but also in the network of ballet workshops he created across the country. In 2000, Robert Joffrey was inducted into The National Dance Museum.

Dr. Leslie B. Dunner

Dr. Leslie B. Dunner (Music Director & Principal Conductor) was named music director and principal conductor for The Joffrey Ballet in September 2003. Prior to that appointment he was the music director of the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra, the principal conductor of Dance Theatre of Harlem, and worked with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. The first American winner of the Arturo Toscaninni International Conducting Competition, he holds a bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music, a master's degree in music theory/musicology from Queens College, and a doctorate from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

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The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra

Violin 1

Violin 2

Viola

Cello

Bass

Flute

Oboe

English Horn

Clarinet

Bass Clarinet

Bassoon

French Horn

Trumpet

Trombone

Timpani

Percussion

Celeste

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The Chorus

Washington High School

Jefferson High School

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Joffrey Ballet

Joffrey Ballet
70 East Lake Street, Suite 1300
Chicago, Illinois 60601
(312) 739-0120

Administration

Artistic

Design

Development

Education & Outreach

Finance

Marketing

Music

Production

Wardrobe

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The Nutcracker fulfills holiday dreams for young dancers

By Alison Baker

When Coralville resident Emma Hermiston, 12, heard that the Joffrey Ballet was holding auditions for parts in The Nutcracker, she leaped at a chance to be a part of the holiday tradition.

"Since the Joffrey was coming to the university this year, it was a once in a lifetime chance to be in The Nutcracker," says Emma. "I like ballet a lot, so I thought it would really be worth trying out for. It has definitely turned out to be a great experience."

Emma is one of 71 lucky dancers selected to perform with the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet. Hopefuls between the ages of nine and thirteen auditioned on at Hancher September 26, 2004.

Taylor Fehlberg, 12, who is from Coralville, shared the sentiment that the opportunity to dance with the Joffrey Ballet was too good to pass up. As a mounted mouse, Taylor says she has made many new friends and especially enjoys The Nutcracker's whimsical costumes.

"The costumes will be so cool," says Taylor. "Mine is actually a mouse on a horse!"

But along with the chance to be a part of a spectacular show came lots of hard work and dedication for the students chosen to perform this year. Dancers began rehearsing on September 28 and spent hours each week practicing at the University of Iowa Dance Department in Halsey Hall and the Space Place Theater in North Hall.

Grace Snider, who along with a Joffrey balletmistress auditioned and rehearses the young dancers, says that she feels pleased and fortunate to have had such wonderful students.

"I've been lucky to have such a good, smart group of kids to work with," says Snider, who is the artistic director of the University of Iowa Dance Forum's UI Youth Ballet. "They picked up on choreography very quickly and came ready to rehearse every day."

Some students' dedication to dance was particularly apparent. A few dancers traveled long distances - from Montezuma, Manchester, Hedrick and Ottumwa - to perform.

Mary Paluska, 10, travels nearly 100 miles from Ottumwa every Saturday to rehearse her part as a soldier. Although she has a longer commute than most, Mary says that this once-in-a-lifetime experience is a great payoff.

"I'm really excited to get to be center stage with actual professional dancers. Since this may never happen to me again, it's very worth the drive!"

As opening night nears, many of the guest dancers are realizing the extraordinary opportunity they have to perform with a professional dance company in a beloved Christmas ballet. Some students are even feeling a few butterflies in their stomachs.

Elisabeth Hottel, 13, is having a ball dancing in The Nutcracker as one of Mother Christmas' Polichinelles and as a mouse, although she still cannot quite believe she will be a part of such a grand production.

"It's a huge deal because it's the Joffrey and they are really famous," says the Iowa City local. "It can be nerve-wracking because all these people are going to be there, and the professionals have been dancing all of their lives. To have a chance to dance with them is a really big honor."

Dancing alongside the professionals of the Joffrey Ballet can be a bit scary for those chosen to perform this year. But Emily Sohl, 12, has no doubt that aside from the nerves, being a party guest will be an experience to remember.

"I'm feeling nervous but really excited because I know it's going to be fun," says Emily, who is from Cedar Rapids. "I know I'm going to have to work really hard, but it will be great to be on the Hancher stage with the Joffrey Ballet."

For one party guest, dancing in The Nutcracker will make more than one dream come true. Williamsburg native Kiley Ritchie, 11, says that she is most looking forward to sharing the stage with some of the world's best dancers.

"I also love when I get lifted up by a soldier. I have always wanted to be lifted in a ballet!" says Kiley.

A decade after their own dreams came true on the Hancher Auditorium stage, a few Nutcracker "alums" look back fondly on their memories of performing with the Joffrey Ballet.

University of Iowa senior Cassie Matthews says her participation in The Nutcracker has affected her more than she would have imagined the first time she danced with the Joffrey Ballet. After performing in The Nutcracker in 1993, Cassie returned in 1996 to help rehearse the children's parts for that year's performances.

"I think the second time I was more cognizant of what was going on and what kind of experience it was," says Cassie who is now a stage assistant at Hancher Auditorium. "In 1996 I had more time to meet the dancers and talk with them. That experience was the reason I work at Hancher now."

Cassie also adds that she's looking forward to seeing the Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker return to the Hancher stage.

"It will be almost strange to look back on it now and realize just how much it took for everything to come together."

The Swanson sisters will also remember their experiences with The Nutcracker as they watch from the audience this year. Anne, a senior at the University of Iowa, danced in the 1993 performance, and her sister Laurie, a senior at Iowa City City High, danced in 1996.

Anne says that although she is still looking forward to seeing Mother Christmas, she will watch the performance this year through different eyes.

"I don't think that at the time I had a picture of just what it was I was doing," says Anne, who was a soldier. "Looking back, it was a great opportunity. Not many people can say that they performed with the Joffrey Ballet when they were 12."

Laurie, a former snow angel, agrees that it was a memory she will never forget.

"It was so neat being able to dance with professional dancers on a stage where so many famous performers have been," says Laurie. "I'm really glad it's back at Hancher because The Nutcracker is a great show for all ages."

For another Iowa City family, this year's Nutcracker will be especially memorable. Sisters Anna, 8, and Lauren Mondanaro, 10, are both thrilled to share the experience. Lauren, who is a snow tree angel, says she is glad that her mother encouraged her to try out.

"It's been really fun to learn all the dances. I definitely want to continue to dance in the future," says Lauren.

Anna says that it is very exciting for both sisters to be in The Nutcracker together. She also plans to take home a special memento.

"I'm going to have the dancers sign my ballet shoes when it's all over," says Anna, who is a Chinese doll. "That way I'll have a memory of being in a performance with professional dancers. It's been very hard work, but I'm so excited to be in it!"

Alison Baker is an intern in the Hancher marketing department.

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