Austin, Texas - Ballet Austin

A Texas Music City Nutcracker

December 5, 2009 - By Brad Maxwell

In the city known as The Live Music Capital of the World and also as one of the best college towns in the county, you can imagine that artistic expression bursts from every corner, club and stage. If you want to visit a town that knows how to celebrate life, known as one of best places in the country to live, one of the greenest cities in America and filled with some of the nicest people in the nation, where better to go to realize some festive holiday cheer and attend a Nutcracker by performed by Ballet Austin - one of our Nation's best!

The Ballet Austin's Nutcracker is a traditional holiday fare filled with spectacular costumes, sets and amazing performances!  This magnificent holiday Nutcracker incorporates a unique fun twist as each night a different local dignitary is celebrated playing the part of Mother Ginger.  But, the real magic of the Ballet Austin's Nutcracker is the consistency of the talented dancers and the beauty of the choreography. 

Act I begins at a party in the Silberhaus house, a large and stately room with a large grandfathers clock on the right. Drosselmeyer arrives with a dancing Dreseden Doll and Pierrot Doll.  Presents are handed out and Drosselmeyer gives Clara a Nutcracker Doll which Fritz steals away and smashes to the ground.  As the evening comes to an end, Clara returns to the parlor where she and her Nutcracker Doll battle a stage full of mice and the powerful Rat King.  The Nutcracker turns into a prince and takes Clara on a journey to the Land of Snow filled with fourteen swirling Snowflake dancers and a beautifully talented Snow King and Queen.

Act II is set in a majestic castle where Clara is greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and the dances of her court. Eight exciting Spanish dancers fill the stage followed by two alluring Arabian dancers. The Chinese dancers with ornate gold and green costumes are followed by the always exciting leaping Russians and then six beautiful French dancers dressed in pastel pink, green and gold.  Mother Ginger arrives played by a different local dignitary each night, surrounded by many beautiful little Bon Bons.  Twelve Flowers dressed in pink dance to the beautiful Tchaikovsky Waltz of Flowers. 

Paul Michael Bloodgood, the Cavalier, and Ashley Lynn Gilfix, the Sugarplum Fairy, perform a graceful and moving grand pas de deux.  These leading parts are also performed by Frank Shott and Michelle Thompson on an altering schedule.

Ballet Austin presents The Nutcracker at the Long Center for twelve performances running through December 23, 2009.