Not Your Grandmother’s Nutcracker: Wilmington Ballet Announces Virtual Nutcracker Experience

Information in this post comes from a press release from The Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance.

While COVID-19 and socially distant restrictions have shut down the majority of arts organizations around the world, the Wilmington Ballet have been pirouetting full force into the new – a new philosophy, new staff, and a new way to bring the holiday tradition of The Nutcracker to families across Delaware for the 53th year. 

From December 7-12, sugarplums will dazzle, mice and soldiers will battle, and snowflakes will swirl as the Wilmington Ballet presents their completely virtual Nutcracker Experience. This five-night, online event will feature a mix of pre-recorded and live videos. The ballet will be performed in venues across the Greater Wilmington area, including The Delaware Art Museum and The Playhouse on Rodney Square.

Viewers can expect to be blown away by this year’s guest stars:
• Akua Parker - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Academy of the Dance alumna
• Georgina Pazcoguin - New York City Ballet Soloist
• Lateef Williams – Royal Ballet of Flanders, Wilm Ballet Alumni
• Amanda Smith - Dance Theater of Harlem
• Anthony Santos – Dance Theater of Harlem
• The Voloshky Ukranian Dance Ensemble

“We really had to test our creativity this year and expand the performance to fit the current times we find ourselves in,” said Benjamin Cannon, Wilmington Ballet’s new Executive and Artistic Director. “It was important to us to keep this tradition alive for our community. Now more than ever, a sense of ‘normal’ and familiarity is so needed, and our hope is that by presenting The Nutcracker in a new and innovative way, we can help families hang on to a holiday tradition they may have otherwise had to forego.” 

This year’s ballet will be presented virtually on new virtual events platform Markee – created locally in Downtown Wilmington. Since quietly launching in June 2020, Markee has hosted more than 100 events, including the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner, EasterSeals Delaware and Maryland’s Easter Shore Annual Caregiver Conference, and an event for The Future Party.

Other local organizations involved in this year’s production include:
• DelawareArt Museum
• Pieces of a Dream Academy of Dance
• McAlleer-Paulson School of Irish Dance
• Stage Lights Dance Academy
• The Playhouse on Rodney Square

“Including and becoming more a part of our local community was imperative to us,” said Christopher Davis, the ballet’s Associate Artistic Director. “We were floored when we were introduced to Markee and could not sign up fast enough when we learned it was built just a mile from our studio! The Delaware Art Museum has been an incredible partner, and we fully intend to include as many community organizations as possible in our programming going forward.”

Cannon and Davis, both with impressive backgrounds featuring Broadway and professional dance companies, are hoping to use this year’s performance as an introduction to the new Wilmington Ballet and Academy of the Dance. The long-term plans for the dance company include adding more diverse class options, community programming, extensive building updates, and an exciting rebranding project with local branding agency BrandSwan.

The Tuttleman Foundation Presents: The Nutcracker Experience
• Monday, Dec. 7 – Wednesday, Dec 9: 7pm
• Thursday, Dec. 10: 8:30pm (Special presentation in conjunction with Delaware Art Museum)
• Friday, Dec. 11: 7pm
• Saturday, Dec. 12: 2pm (Special matinee with guest stars from the historic Playhouse on Rodney Square)

Tickets ($75 per single household) are on sale now at https://events.wilmingtonballet.org/the-nutcracker-experience.

(The Wilmington Ballet asks that viewers continue to follow the Delaware State of Emergency guidelines that have been put in place. They have priced tickets per household to encourage social distancing. Once purchased, ticket links are unique and cannot be shared.)

About The Wilmington Ballet at the Academy of the Dance
Founded in 1956, as the Academy of the Dance, Wilmington Ballet has the longest-standing tradition of excellence in dance training in the region. Wilmington Ballet’s professional faculty is dedicated to providing exceptional ballet training to students of all ages. Wilmington Ballet students have advanced to the world’s top companies, including American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Martha Graham Company, Royal Ballet Flanders, Boston Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, as well as Broadway and more. Since 1967, the annual performance of The Nutcracker at the Playhouse on Rodney Square has provided our students the opportunity to perform with world-class professional artists and live orchestra. Wilmington Ballet is conveniently located in the Trolley Square neighborhood at 1709 Gilpin Avenue. The Wilmington Ballet is supported, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.  More Information: www.wilmingtonballet.org.

A Wilmington Holiday Tradition Gets Thumbs Up from Young Arts Fans

Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance presented
The Nutcracker at The Playhouse on Rodney Square.
Photo courtesy of Wilmington Ballet.

By The Good Girls
The Good Girls appreciate the rich arts scene in Wilmington. Brenda is passionate about volunteering, food, the outdoors and learning tennis. Brynn, a 4th Grader, enjoys horses, traveling, singing and learning to crochet. Brynn's friend Madison joined us for her first theater experience. She is a 1st Grader who likes dancing, playing outside and solving math problems. 
The Nutcracker was presented at The Playhouse on Rodney Square on Saturday, December 2, and Sunday, December 3, by the Wilmington Ballet Academy of the Dance in its 60th anniversary year featuring the choreography of Artistic Director Jorge Laico. 

Based on Alexander Dumas’ The Story of the Nutcracker as adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, the production featured the familiar, lively scores of P.I. Tchaikovsky. 

Our seats in the balcony provided a perfect perspective as the story was brought to life on stage in a feast for the eyes, ears and imaginations of children and adults alike.

Brenda enjoyed the warm, nostalgic holiday gathering and dancing of guests in their period garb at the Stahlbaums’ home, where the nutcracker toy was presented to young Clara. After her brother, Fritz, breaks it, Uncle Drosselmeyer bandages it and returns it to Clara, who falls asleep as her dreams unfold before the audience. 

Brynn and her friend Madison pose by the
life-sized gingerbread house in the Hotel du Pont.

The fierce Mouse King and his menacing yet musing minions of dancing mice arrived to fight the Nutcracker. The victorious but exhausted Nutcracker turns into a dashing prince who is transported with Clara to the magical Land of Snow. Madison exclaimed to us that, "...the dance [of the Snow Queen and King and their Snowflakes] was beautiful, and the ballerinas were Hallelujah good!"

Brynn found it challenging that there were no speaking parts (a departure from her prior theater experiences) but appreciated that "...all the kids must have worked so hard to perform the dances so well." Her favorite character was the funny bearded man on stilts in a big dress!

Intermission allowed a visit to the gorgeous, life-size gingerbread house in the Hotel DuPont lobby, intoxicating for the nose and eyes. Mmmmmmmmmm....

As the story resumed, Clara and the Nutcracker arrive in the Land of Sweets, where theater-goers enjoyed the real treat when the iconic Sugar Plum Fairy commanded a festival of dance. Beautiful costumery immersed us in exotic dance numbers from around the globe. Madison said, "...the music gets a thumbs up --- very, very good." and the audience obviously agreed, as they enthusiastically clapped a rhythm for the Ukrainian Trepak dance. Brynn fancied the Waltz of the Flowers with their beautiful floral wreaths. 

Soon, Clara and the Nutcracker Prince are sent on their way and Clara reappears sleeping at home by the Christmas tree. Was it all a dream?

See www.wilmingtonballet.org.

The Beauty of the Season Highlighted in FSBT's Nutcracker

Photo courtesy of FSBT

By Christine Facciolo

Larger-than-life scenery, sparkling costumes, dazzling dancing and a lush score by one of music’s greatest melodists.

Ballet doesn’t get much more Christmassy than The Nutcracker and First State Ballet Theatre’s annual production continues to deliver festive magic and some striking performances.

Audiences at Saturday’s matinee were entranced by the classic story of a young girl’s Christmas Eve and her awakening to the wider world and romantic love.

Marie is the most innocent of ballet heroines, a tiny guileless protagonist around whom the magic of “The Nutcracker” unfolds.

Mary Kate Reynolds was superb as the Adult Marie, her pliant body and elegant feet a gorgeous instrument for Tchaikovsky’s sweeping score. She was never less than enchanted by the tricks and transformations that surrounded her. Her subtle changes in facial expressions and impeccable timing conveyed a sense of childlike wonder.

But The Nutcracker is a company ballet, and every member of the cast was at the top of their games. Reynolds was partnered with Jake Nowicki’s gallant Prince. John Brewer gave the character of Drosselmeyer a mix of severity and playfulness. The mechanical dolls (Angele Zielen, Rie Aoki and Leonid Goykham) delighted all. Goykham and Justin Estelle, portraying the Mouse King and the Nutcracker respectively, were impressive with their amazing jumping abilities and thrilling sword fight.

The audience was then magically transported to the Land of the Sweets. John Brewer and Aubrey Clemens made a fiery, flashy twosome in the Spanish. Richy Romero and Molly Rooney were convincing in the Chinese. Lauren Frere’s natural flexibility was put to dazzling use in the partnering of Lauren Anthony, Jessica Eizember, Kenzie Lemoine and Jamie Meyer in the Arabian. Andrew Matte and Ethan Hunter Raysor thrilled the audience in the Russian.

The Waltz of the Flowers is a perennial high point in The Nutcracker and Rie Aoki was a lyrical and finely detailed Flower Princess. The party cast members in the opening act managed to captivate with colorful expressions and animated scenarios. Jacqueline Taylor made for a wonderfully composed Young Marie while Kathy Lin as Fritz enjoyed making as much mischief as possible.

The Nutcracker has always been an uneven work. The first act is all story, while the second act is all dancing. Marie is still pretty much relegated to the sidelines with little to do but look entranced and occasionally join in the dancing. It’s a difficult role to animate but Reynolds does her best, giving us every imaginable shade of awe and delight.

This production coupled with Tchaikovsky’s evocative score capably delivered the age-old magic that is The Nutcracker.

See www.firststateballet.com.