The holidays, the spectacle, The Nutcracker | Arts & Entertainment

Every so often a piece of art will come along and be underappreciated only to go on and become an enduring classic. 

Consider the film “The Shawshank Redemption.” The film did not receive a single Oscar. Yet 20 years later, the Internet Movie Database ranks it as the greatest film of all time. “It’s a Wonderful Life” was a box office dud when it came out in 1946 and is now a ubiquitous holiday classic. 

“The Nutcracker” is another example of a piece that failed to make an original impression but went on to become a timeless classic. It will be performed this weekend by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet at the Aspen District Theater at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. To purchase tickets, visit ci.ovationtix.com/36833/production/1251477

“The Nutracker” is the story of Clara, a little girl who travels during her Christmas Eve dreams to the Land of Sweets with the Nutcracker Prince. Along the way, they battle the evil Rat King, travel to the Land of Snow, and ride a magical carousel around the world. 

‘The Nutcracker” is based on the story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King,” written by E.T.A. Hoffmann in 1816. It was first performed in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1892. Created by choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov in collaboration with composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, it was poorly received. According to Jennifer Homans in her book “Apollo’s Angels: A History of Ballet,” critics at the time called it “an insult to Russia’s Imperial Theatres” and “death for the company.”

After several failed attempts to revive the ballet in the first half of the 20th century, George Balanchine choreographed his own version for the New York City Ballet in 1954. It debuted in February and wasn’t associated with the holidays. But since the first act of the ballet takes place at a Christmas party, the play began to be performed at the holidays and “The Nutcracker” became a beloved yuletide tradition. 

“The Nutcracker” is the Super Bowl of ballet, that is, if they played the Super Bowl every night for several weeks. According to a 2021 article from Reuters, for many ballet companies, the holiday staple attracts almost as many audience members as the rest of the year’s shows combined, accounting for a significant portion of annual ticket revenue. 

It is quite simply the engine that propels most ballet companies. The New York City Ballet, one of the top ballet companies in the world, makes roughly 45% of its annual ticket sales from its roughly five-week run of “The Nutcracker.”

Another reason “The Nutcracker” is such a popular tradition is that the play includes a large cast of children and young dancers who get to play a part in the winter spectacle. This pulls families into the tradition and provides many dancers with their first experience in ballet. The cast of this weekend’s production includes students from the ASFB school and Folklórico program.

“In Aspen Santa Fe Ballet’s ‘Nutcracker,’ acclaimed artists from around the country dance side by side with our students, creating a distinctive blend of professional artistry and community spirit,’ Artistic Director Tom Mossbrucker said. “The result is a joyous, spirited, and fast-paced holiday tradition that delights audiences year after year.”

Emily Adams and Hadriel Diniz of Ballet West will play the lead roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier. The two dancers appeared in Aspen Santa Fe’s Gala performance in July 2024 along with a group of dancers from Ballet West. 

Adams grew up in Pennsylvania and performed in the Nutcracker as a child, playing the role of Clara when she was 12 years old. She joined Ballet West when she was 18 and has been dancing with the Salt Lake City-based company for 20 years. 

“I love dancing with Ballet West,” Adams said  in an interview. “It is a great balance of new contemporary repertoire with classical ballet. It’s a medium-sized company with a great culture. Salt Lake is a very livable city and I have enjoyed a nice balanced life here.”

Adams and Diniz have danced together for years, having performed the principal roles in productions like “Sleeping Beauty” and “Romeo and Juliet” and they have done “The Nutracker” together many times. 

Adams likes that the Clara role in “The Nutcracker” is technically challenging.

“Even though I have performed the Clara role many times it’s very technically challenging and that’s one of the things I love about it. It really pushes you as a dancer and that keeps it fresh every time.”

Diniz has been with Ballet West for 10 years. He grew up in Brazil and moved to the States at 16 to dance with the San Francisco Ballet. He danced there for three years before moving to Salt Lake City to dance with Ballet West.

Diniz said that Adams is his main dance partner at Ballet West. “Emily and I dance very well together,” he said. “We’ve become very good friends and we are very connected as dancers and pretty much agree on everything together. That makes it much easier.” 

Diniz often performs the role of Cavalier as a guest artist in several performances during the holidays. Next weekend, he will reprise the role in San Diego at the San Elijo Dance & Music Academy.  

Diniz said he hopes “The Nutcracker” leaves audiences uplifted and energized.

“I want people to leave with a warm heart and more love towards the arts,” Diniz said. “The Nutcracker is a wonderful holiday celebration and I hope people walk away feeling like they had a good time and that they feel like a new person.”

Adams said performing the Nutcracker takes her back to her own childhood.

“I love to see all the kids dancing and being inspired,” she said. “It sparks their imagination. It’s so magical and reminds me of myself performing it back when I was young. ‘The Nutcracker’ is such a family tradition for so many people. That’s why the runs are so long with the big companies, so many people want to see it. Anytime you can go to a theater and be together with your family and escape into another world, it’s a beautiful thing.”