The Nutcracker, choreographed by , was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892. It was not well received by audiences or by critics; therefore, it was considered a failure. In 1944, Director of the San Francisco William Christensen wanted to introduce Americans to the classics, so he presented the full-length Nutcracker in the United States. However, it was not until 1954 that The Nutcracker became popular. That’s when the New York City Ballet first performed the ballet under the direction of George Balanchine. Many versions of The Nutcracker performed in America are based on George Balanchine’s version of the ballet. Today, ballet companies perform, The Nutcracker, across the country during the holiday season.

Act I

It is Christmas Eve and Councillor Von Stahl- baum, a city official, and his wife are entertain- ing close friends and relatives.The Stahlbaum’s have two children, Fritz and Marie who are joined by their many friends and relatives. The children receive many gifts this Christmas when another guest arrives - an elderly man wearing a white wig and a patch over his right eye. This is the children’s Godfather Heir Drosselmeier.

Drosselmeier intrigues the children. Drosselmeier is a clock maker by trade, but he also produces wonderful mechanical toys for the children that come to life and . Drosselmeier gives Marie and Fritz a Nutcracker doll and shows Marie how to use the Nutcracker to crack nuts. Fritz is jealous and takes the Nutcracker from Marie and breaks the Nutcracker’s teeth when he tries to make the doll crack a very large nut. Dros- selmeier and Marie attempt to repair the Nut- cracker. As the party comes to an end, the guests dance “The Grandfather’s Dance” a traditional German folk dance.

After everyone has left Marie returns to the liv- ing room to search for her Nutcracker and she falls asleep on the couch. Drosselmeier appears and as the clock strikes twelve, Marie dreams that she sees many mice scampering through the living room. The living room transforms as the Christmas tree grows and life size toy soldiers and the Nutcracker battle the mice and Mouse King. The Nutcracker’s army retreats and the Nutcracker is over powered by the Mouse King. In an act of desperation, Marie throws her at the Mouse King and the spell placed on the Nutcracker by the Mouse King’s family is finally broken. The Nutcracker is transformed into the prince he once was. He leads Marie through the Land of the Snowflakes on the way to the Land of the Sweets.

Act II

The second Act takes place in the Land of the Sweets at the Palace of the Sugarplum Kingdom. The Sugarplum Fairy arrives and introduces Marie and the Prince to her kingdom. The Prince tells how Marie saved him from the Mouse King. Marie and the Prince are then entertained by a host of dancing treats: • Spanish dancers (Chocolate) • Arabian dancers (Coffee) • Chinese (Tea) • English • Mirlitons (Marzipan) • Russian (Candy Canes) • Mother Ginger’s children the Polichinelles • a magical Waltz of the Flowers • and finally the Grand of the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier

As Act II comes to an end, so does Marie’s dream as her mother awakens her. But for Marie, this was no dream at all, it was all very real!

THE MUSIC: THE NUTCRACKER SUITE BY PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY

Born: May 7, 1840. Kamsko-Votkinsk, Russian Died: November 6, 1983 St Petersburg, Russia

In his own words...

“How can one express the indefinable sensations that one experiences while writing an instrumental composition that has no definite subject? It is a purely lyrical process. It is a musical confession of the soul, which unburdens itself through sounds just as a lyric poet expresses himself through poetry... As the poet Heine said, ‘Where words leave off, music begins.’ “

Russian composer, Peter IlyichTchaikovsky began piano lessons at age 5. After accompanying his parents to a piano concert, he complained that he could not sleep because the music stuck in his head. Though he was musically gifted Tchaikovsky’s parents sent him to law school. At nineteen he took a job as a bureau clerk. Though he worked hard, he hated his job. Music was enchanting him and he began composing.

Tchaikovsky is best known for his and symphonies in which he wrote extremely difficult flute parts. His orchestration was colorful and touched with emotion. The Nutcracker was not immediately a successful endeavour, but has now become a Christmas tradition.

Tchaikovsky is said to have argued with a friend who wagered that the composer could not write a melody based on the notes of the scale in an octave in sequence. Tchaikovsky asked if it mattered whether the notes were in ascending or descending order, and was assured it did not. This resulted in the Adagio from the Grand pas de deux, following the Waltz of the Flowers.*

One novelty in Tchaikovsky’s original score was the use of the celesta, a new instrument Tchaikovsky had discovered in Paris. He wanted it genuinely for the character of the Sugarplum Fairy to characterize her because of its “heavenly sweet sound”. Tchaikovsky was proud of the celesta’s effect, and wanted its music performed quickly for the public, before he could be “scooped.” Everyone was enchanted.

Other Works: 8 operas, including Eugene Onegin (1879) and Pique Dame (The Queen of Spades, 1890) 3 ballets: Swan Lake (1877), The Sleeping Beauty (1890) and The Nutcracker (1892) Orchestral music, including 7 symphonies (No.1, 1866; No.2, 1872; No.3, 1875; No.4, 1878; No.5, 1888; No.6 “Pathétique”, 1893; Manfred, 1885), 3 piano concertos, 1 violin concerto and symphonic poems and overtures (Romeo and Juliet, 1870) Chamber and keyboard music, choral music and songs.

*http://books.google.com/books?id=dji3Weqj2t8C&printsec=frontcover &dq=Nutcracker+Nation&hl=en&src=bmrr&ei=AbniTLTyIsWclgermana Aw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwA A#v=onepage&q&f=false

Children and some adults are often surprised at the sight of men in , but the wearing of tights is practical and historical. Ballet originated at the royal courts of Italy and France during the 1500s and 1600s. At that time, women wore long, heavy and men wore puffy short pants called trunk with . Dancers wore the same. As time went on, the skirts of women dancers became shorter and lighter to allow them more freedom of movement and a view of the fancy foot work. Ballet dancing of men became more athletic, with lifts, leaps and turns. With this change men needed less restrictive too. Hence, they began to wear stretchy, form-fitting and tights that allowed the maximum range of movement.

Word Bank

Leotard A one piece, fitted garment, made of a light stretch fabric that fits like a second skin to cover a dancer’s torso. Leotards are worn for class and rehearsal so that the teacher may see the workings of the students’ muscles and joints.

Tights tightly knit leg coverings worn by both men and women in ballet.

Toe special ballet worn by bal- lerinas to allow them to dance on the points of their toes. These have a hardened box, which is made of 7 layers of fabric glued together. This “box” goes around the toes to help support and protect the tips of the bal- lerina’s toes. Ribbons help to keep the shoes on the feet. But the ballerina’s feet also get support from her ankle and leg muscles. She has trained for years with special exercises to strengthen her legs, ankles, and feet. Student dancers may not wear “toe shoes” until age 10 or 11. Girls are usually a few years older be- fore they have enough toe shoe experience to perform on stage.

Tutu a ballerina’s , made of several layers of fine net-like fabric called “tulle” (pronounced “tool”). The short kind is called a “pancake”, the longer “romantic”.

Ballet is an artistic dance form performed to music using precise and highly formalized set steps and gestures. , which originated in Renaissance Italy, developed further in France, England, and Russia, and established its present form during the 19th century, is characterized by light, graceful, fluid movements and the use of pointe shoes. Pointe work and turn out make ballet different from all other dance forms. Highly trained dancers perform ballets that are choreographed and set to music using mime, acting, and combinations of dance steps.

In some productions, “Clara” is the name of the lead character and not “Marie.” However, in the original story, “Marie” is the name of the girl and “Clara” is the name of her doll.

Rehearsals for our production of The Nutcracker begin in early September.

This year’s production includes over 110 cast members and over 200 .

Approximately 30 people work backstage to assist with music, lights, changes, and sets.

Marie has 3 dreams. The first dream begins when the jack-in-the-box awakens her. The second dream begins when the first group of mice enters until the end of the battle scene. The last dream is when she gets back on the bed and goes back to sleep before waking up before the prince.

The Mouse King has 7 heads. There is one large one with 6 additional heads protruding from it. In order for Marie’s bed to move, someone gets underneath to steer it. Usually it’s our Artistic Direc- tor!

Mother Ginger’s is in two pieces, the upper that actually fits the Mother Ginger character and the skirt. The skirt fits over an oblong stage set made of wood that sits on of the actual moving part which someone steers from underneath.

It takes about 10 hours to steam the wrinkles from Mother Ginger’s skirt.

The Sugar Plum Fairy’s costume has 32 pieces of beaded candy decorating the .

The week of The Nutcracker, our dancers collectively go through about 2 pounds of bobby pins (hair pins).

In 2014, 4294 students and teachers from 22 counties in Mississippi and 36 Mississippi municipalities attended the school performances of Ballet Mississippi’s The Nutcracker.

Thalia Mara Hall, the auditorium where The Nutcracker is performed, is named for Ballet Mississippi’s first director, Thalia Mara. Later, she brought the International Ballet Competition to Jackson, which still occurs every four years. Jackson Auditorium became Thalia Mara Hall to honor her contribution to Jackson’s cultural life.

Peter Illyitch Tschaikovsky is the composer who wrote the music for the ballet. The Nutcracker was first performed n Russia in 1892, and was considered a failure. Tschaikovsky died less than one year later; therefore, he never knew what a huge success and popular holiday tradition the ballet later became.

This year is Ballet Mississippi’s 33rd anniversary of performing The Nutcracker.

Preschool - 6th grade Have students draw a picture of what their Land of the Sweets would look like. Or have them draw a modern-day Land of the Sweets.

Preschool - 6th grade After reading the story, play excerpts of the music. See if students can guess which parts of the story match the music, i.e. battle scene, snow, flowers, Arabian.

2nd grade & up Have students draw a picture of their favorite scene.

2nd grade & up Have students draw a picture of their own costume design.

4th grade & up After seeing the ballet, have students write a narrative from the perspective of another character (i.e. Drosselmeyer, the Mouse King, the Sugar Plum Fairy).

4th grade & up Have students write a review of The Nutcracker. It should include likes/dislikes, and suggestions for improvements. Discuss how the qualities of the production (movement, music, lighting, costumes) contributed to the production. R M S K N U P F S D U R H D N The Nutcracker W N E U A U R I A T E L I A O Ballet

X C G S M I T N R I H V V M I U A A N T T S C E O E G O M S E V R Z I E S M R R U U I T S D A P M U G L I T A S E E T I E L L R A E R I R E C L T Y M D I U H S R S E K H L K R T R W S E M S S I I H A C I E N E

A R O A E E N E B T A T B R T P R T M D G P J C F O S U N N D G E S N O T I L R I M X T I D N P O L I C H I N E L L E U T T P A N T O M I M E J E T E T E L L A B E D S P R O C E P BALLET CAVALIER CHRISTMAS CORPS DE DANSEUR BALLET DROSSELMEIER FAIRY FRITZ INTERMISSION JETE MARIE MIRLITONS MOTHER GINGER MOUSEKING NUTCRACKER PANTOMIME PAS DE DEUX PIROUETTE POLICHINELLE SUGARPLUM TIGHTS TUTU Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com Ballet

Across 1. Means step or dance 2. A ballerina dancing on her toes while wearing toe shoes 3. Dancers focus on one spot as they turn. This helps them avoid dizziness. 5. A female . 7. Literally means “whirligig,” which is an old fashioned name for a child’s top. Pirouette is now used to describe the many kinds of turns that dancers do either on demi-point (on the ball of the foot) or on full point for the women (on the tips of the toes with the support of pointe shoes). 8. A dévelopé is done by drawing the toe of the gesture leg (which bends at the knee and hip) up the front, side, or back of the supporting leg, until it reaches knee height. It is then “unfolded” to its full extension, either to the front side or back of the dancer’s body. 10. A male ballet dancer 11. A jump in which a dancer springs from one foot to land on the other with one leg extended outward from the body while in the air. 12. A position of the body balancing on one leg while the other leg is extended (usually) to the back. 13. Most movements in begin and end with a plié, which is a bend and stretch of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Demi- and grand-pliés are done as an exercise at the beginning of the work and are done as half-bends and full-bends of the knee. 14. A horizontal bar at level on which ballet dancers rest a hand for support during exercises. 15. The members of a who dance together as a group. 16. The characteristic that most distinguishes ballet from other forms of dance. It refers to the outward rotation of the legs in the hip socket, so that if one were to look at the feet in first position (heel to heel), they would appear to make a straight line.Down 1. a form of acting in which gestures and facial expressions are used instead of words to convey the story. Ballet dancers frequently use pantomime to help tell the story of a ballet. 4. A movement in which both legs are kept straight and one leg is kicked outward from the body and in again. 6. A position of the body, related to the arabesque, where the extended leg is bent at the knee. 9. done by two people together, usually a man and a woman. The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince perform one near the end of Act II of the Nutcracker.

17 of 17 words were placed into the puzzle. Created by Puzzlemaker at DiscoveryEducation.com

Draw a line connecting the accomplishment to the person’s name.

Wrote the story of The Nutcracker Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky Wrote the music for The Nutcracker George Balanchine Choreographed the first The Nutcracker William Christensen Dances with the Sugarplum Fairy Marius Petipa Choreographed first American Nutcracker E.T.A. Hoffman Conquered the Mouse King The Cavalier Choreographed popular version of The Nutcracker The Nutcracker

A live performance is much different than sitting at home in front of your television set, so live performances require a different set of conduct. Here are a few suggestions:

1) The signal for the start of the ballet will be the dimming of the lights It will seem very dark. The curtain will not go up yet, but music will start to play; this is called the Overture. The Overture is a sampling of the music that will be heard all during the performance. During this time the performers are getting to their places and getting prepared to dance. The audience should also get ready for the performance by getting to their seats and finishing their conversations.

2) Once the Overture ends, dancers will emerge from the wings (offstage areas on either side of the stage). These dancers, and every dancer who follows, will help tell the story by pantomime. There are no spoken “lines” in ballet - Dance, gesture, and facial expression are used to tell the story. Also, the changing sound of the music will also help set the mood for a scene and help tell the story. There will be no words spoken during the entire performance. All noises, camera flashes, phones, and talking are distracting. Please power down all electronic devices - Phones, ipods, mp3 players, cameras.

3) Be courteous to the other audience members by using the rest room before you enter the theatre or during the intermission and refrain from talking or whispering.

4) No food, drink, or chewing gum is allowed inside Thalia Mara Hall.

BOOKS Nutcracker – A Young Reader’s Edition of the Holiday Classic by E.T.A. Hoffman, adapted by Daniel Walden

Nutcracker – by Maurice Sendak

– by Joel Meyerowitz Photograpy of New York City Ballet’s Nutcracker production

The Story of The Nutcracker Ballet – by Deborah Hautzig The Nutcracker Backstage – by Angela

Whitehill & William Noble

MUSIC

The Nutcracker – Peter Tchaikovsky