Christmas Firsts #6: Ballet

As today is my granddaughter's birthday, I thought I would feature her favourite Christmas ballet The Nutcracker . Before anyone protests, I am not saying that this was the FIRST ballet with a Christmas theme ever written or performed, but I can verify that The Nutcracker was first performed in St Petersburg, Russia in 1892.

While there is no definitive claim that The Nutcracker was the first, its beginnings suggest that it would be difficult to find an earlier Christmas ballet. Hoffmann’s 1816 tale The Nutcracker and the Mouse King had been adapted by Alexandre Dumas (of Three Musketeers fame) in 1844, and it was a ballet based on this version that was commissioned by the director of the Russian Imperial Theatre in 1892, following the huge success of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty two years previously.

from "The Nutcracker" 1892 ( mentalfloss.com)

The premiere performance of The Nutcracker was not well received and that is probably being kind. Most of the audience and the critics panned the ballet. It would seem only the Tsar was delighted with it and I guess that might have helped to save The Nutcracker? Some of the negatives described the ballet as not a ballet at all with a corpulent prima ballerina and unworthy of Tchaikovsky’s music.

So from this very shaky beginning, how did The Nutcracker become the ballet so universally performed and loved by even non-ballet fans at Christmas? Isabell McMeekan , a former first soloist with the Royal Ballet and a dancer in countless Nutcracker ballets over the years, sums up The Nutcracker’s appeal perfectly

“It’s the eternal fantasy of Christmas come to life on stage. You’ve got the girl, the guy, the dream, the magic tree that grows to 7 feet, the glittery snowflakes, and some really heavyweight choreography to the most amazing score. What’s not to love?”

https://www.spoonflower.com/fabric/3792246-clara-s-nutcracker-ballet-lg-by-robinpickens

Performances outside of Russia began with a 1934 production in England, but The Nutcracker gained its first popularity in the USA . The first performance of The Nutcracker in the United States was by the San Francisco Opera Ballet in 1944. However, by changing a few characters, choreographer George Balanchine brought new life to The Nutcracker in his 1954 production for the New York City Ballet This performance was the beginning of the The Nutcracker's popularity as a much loved Christmas holiday tradition performance . Many of the versions of The Nutcracker performed today are based on that 1954 version. Whatever version, I know that one eight year old thought the recent Russian National Ballet Company’s performance of The Nutcracker” In Newcastle, NSW, Australia created a long lasting magical memory for her. And for Amy and other ballet fans, here are two minutes of the Sugar Plum Fairy

Tomorrow : The first Christmas movie?

Sources: http://www.nutcracker.com/about-us/history-of-nutcracker

http://mentalfloss.com/article/60648/15-harsh-things-critics-said-about-nutcracker-after-its-1892-premiere

http://time.com/3640792/nutcracker-american-history

12 Days .... festive or not?

Days 5 & 7 - the Gold Rush Era Stamp Series It seems so long ago now since we were celebrating Christmas and New Year.... hope you enjoyed a great festive season. I took some time out, not doing much at all but I did set myself a little challenge of doing some tidying up which meant spending a little time each day using scraps of fabric and paper to create something a little playful or as the mood took, useful! Unlike the long projects I usually undertake, this was a 12 day project ( 12 days of Christmas ) - completely random, but finishing half done projects or recycling. For example the first photo shows some collages I did on days 5 and 7 to use a postage stamp release, the Gold Rush Era series, first issued in Australia 1981 ... yes I probably have had it in my stash since then! Completing some other little projects was very satisfying .... On Day 1, I assembled a folded paper folk cube from a kit my daughter gifted to me las...

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as w...

Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that ...

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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