The Nutcracker Years

This morning, as I had my coffee and browsed the internet, I saw a video of two people (check out glassduo.com) playing "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Instead of being played on a celesta, however, this version was played on wine glasses, filled with water. The music was so beautifully interpreted, that I could imagine a sparking ballerina dancing before my eyes. And I remembered the Nutcracker years.

For many years, The Nutcracker was a central part of our lives, beginning in September and ending shortly before Christmas. My two girls performed every year with a regional ballet company whose production was top-notch. From scenery and costumes to choreography, everything was professionally done. The dancers performed impeccably, right down to the littlest angel. Every mother beamed with pride as their daughters and sons took the stage and danced to the music that had filled our ears every day for the last four months. And as the dancers took their final bows at the end of the last show, we breathed a sigh of relief. Another successful season was over.

As soon as school started each year, everyone at the ballet studio turned their thoughts to The Nutcracker. Little boys and girls would eagerly anticipate their first performance in a real ballet. They would be angels, dressed in pretty costumes and carrying battery-operated candles as they would glide around the stage in perfect formation. Older children would play the part of party girls and boys, and everyone wondered who would be the lucky ones chosen to be Clara and Fritz. The teenagers, many of whom would go on to professional ballet companies when they graduated, looked forward to their performances in the snow scene or the "Waltz of the Flowers" and wondered who would win the coveted role of the Sugar Plum Fairy.

Auditions began in September and, as soon as the cast list was posted, rehearsals began in earnest. Ballet classes continued as usual, but evenings and weekend afternoons were dedicated to rehearsal time. Costumes were fitted and altered, pictures were taken, scenery and props were mended, and soon it was time for dress rehearsal. This was a time for the mothers to practice their roles backstage, helping with costumes and makeup. And then it would be showtime!

Working backstage was a real eye-opener for me. Some of those costume changes had to be done very quickly. As young girls dashed to the dressing room after the party scene, we hurriedly got them out of their dresses and into mouse costumes for the battle with the toy soldiers. The audience never imagined the chaos that was going on behind the scenes as Drosselmeyer worked his magic and the Christmas tree on stage grew to an enormous size. When the show was over, we would congratulate each other on a job well done and plan how to improve our efficiency for the next show.

Each of us, of course, would have the opportunity to see the show at least one time each season. That's when we would dress in our finest clothes and take our places in the theater. Bouquets of flowers filled the arms of many who attended, and the seats began to fill. The audience browsed their programs, and soon the lights dimmed. And as the music began, we would breathlessly await the opening scene of The Nutcracker.