Over Thanksgiving break, a small theater near my hometown was doing a performance of the nutcracker; as part of a family tradition we went and watched it. I always love watching the Nutcracker and this was a performance that was being put on a little earlier than usual. We went and saw this version of The Nutcracker on November 26th at 3:00. The performance was such an amazing spectacle to see, I always love watching the Nut Cracker. The costumes and backgrounds made for these ballets are always delightful and crafty and this ballet was no different. The beautiful glittering dresses and the handsome soldier suits all of it was so immersing it almost felt like you were there with them in this mysterious land. This production didn’t quite have…show more content… The part with the rat king attacking the poor Nut Cracker and Clara is always so terrifying and exciting all at the same time. In the dance, the Nutcracker the choreographer’s intent is usually pretty clear as it was this time and everything seemed very well rehearsed. This dance, like so many other ballets, is very important to dance history. A dance that was originally performed in St. Petersburg, Russia in 1892 and performed for the first time in the United States in San Francisco in 1944. It has been performed a lot through history and has influenced many people throughout its lifetime. The most important performance, however, would be the performance in 1954, performed by the New York City Ballet and choreographed by George Balanchine. This performance not only created the ballet that we have come to know and love but also was the start of it being a Christmas holiday tradition, for a dance to not only survive but thrive for this long it has definitely had an effect on history and culture. Although it is such a long-standing ballet one can pick up on some subtle things that have influenced changes in the ballet such as the dancers being on pointe, which is a dance move popularized by Marie
