Nutcracker Season 2022
Ella’s final Nutcracker bow as The Dew Drop Fairy.
The Nutcracker has always been a part of our holiday celebrations. The Christmas season doesn’t start until we hear the first note of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No 4, Waltz of the Flowers. The Nutcracker is the home of iconic pieces of music that evoke so many emotions.
Our Nutcracker journey started when I was a young child. Every year, we went to see the Philadelphia Ballet perform the Nutcracker. I was 6 when I first saw ballerinas float across the stage. They were effortless, they were beautiful.
Fast forward 105 years… well maybe not that many. Ella was 8, when she saw her first Nutcracker. Immediately, she was hooked and there began her Nutcracker journey. She joined the Nutcracker cast the following year as an Angel, and so it began.
Many many roles later, from the party attendants, to Mouse King, Columbine (Kissy Doll), Spanish, Soldier and Doll, too many to recount them all. Her final year ended with the roles of The Nutcracker, Snow Corps, and The Dew Drop Fairy. It was a perfect farewell to her Nutcracker career.
When you have a dancer who is transitioning into their college/professional career, Senior year is, most likely, the last time they will perform in The Nutcracker. It is hard to say goodbye to something that has been a constant in their pre-professional dance lives. We decided to embrace every minute of this last season.
As Ella’s final year in the Nutcracker, this one in particular, was bittersweet. It came with a Tsunami of emotions. The show was glorious. Thinking about itl bring tears to my eyes.
Next year, Ella and I will be in the audience watching and cheering for her friends. Merde!
As we move on to the next chapter…
From Angels to Fairies, dancing together for 9 Nutcrackers. Photo Credit: Ali Litte Photography