Analysis Of The Nutcracker Ballet

688 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Essays on the nutcracker ballet

The many aspects that make the classic The Nutcracker ballet a delight to watch were demonstrated by the graceful and talented dancers at the Benedum Center’s evening performance on December 28. Beautiful dancing and the music of Tchaikovsky brought the stage to life as the story unfolded with Christmas Eve in the Stahlbaum home as the opening scene. The daughter of the Stahlbaum family, Marie (Hannah Carter), receives a nutcracker and pointe shoes. The nephew (Joseph Parr) tries his best to impress Marie, but he cannot, because of his hideous appearance that resulted from the evil rat king’s curse. As everyone falls asleep, the house becomes enchanted under a spell and Marie travels to the Land of Enchantment with her beloved nutcracker, (Joseph Parr), who has now come to life and revealed himself and the nephew. She goes on many adventures with him and meets people from all over the world who dance for her. At the end of her journey, she awakens in her house which has returned to normal and is now in love with the nephew, whose curse was lifted. She wonders if it was all a dream, until she finds the scarf she received from the Land of Enchantment. In this ballet adapted by E.T.A. Hoffman, Marie learns that there is more to a person than just how they look.
The Nutcracker was adapted for the stage and directed by Terrence S. Orr, in which the the beautiful dances for the ballet were choreographed by Marianna Tcherkassky and Steven Annegarn. Individually, the dancers were flawless and graceful with every step, using facial expressions to create emotions and connections with the audience. Marie (Hannah Carter) was a captivating dancer, with her petite figure gracefully leaping across the stage, showing her longing for romance. S...

... middle of paper ...

...ere divided into the orchestra, which were on the bottom, and the balcony. The orchestra seats surround the stage and the orchestra pit. From there, you are able to easily see the facial expressions of dancers, which makes the ballet even more exciting to watch. The whole stage is able to be seen from the orchestra seats. From the balcony, the entire stage is also able to be see, but the seats are only higher up and farther away, so viewers are not able to see the facial expressions of the dancers as well.
This production of The Nutcracker had dancers of all ages is always a delight to watch. This very entertaining ballet, even with no spoken words, showed humor through the actions of the dancers. This ballet was very well worth the ticket price, as it contained all of the classic dances, music, and a little pizzazz from each of the dancers of the ballet company.

Show More
Related

  • An Analysis Of The Teacup Ballet

    527 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ‘Teacup Ballet’ is one of the first and best artworks Olive Cotton has exhibited outside Australia. It was created in 1935, a Gelatin Silver, 37.3cm x 29.6cm, photograph. Six identical teacups are laid out precisely, they each have pointed, triangular handles and slender bodies. Each teacup is placed on a circular saucer. In the centre, background two teacups are placed diagonally to each other, their handles pointing in the same direction, on the left hand side. In the middle ground, three teacups are placed in a diagonal line, parallel to teacups in the background. This time the teacup handles all point to the right hand side. In the foreground, right hand corner, there stands alone one teacup, its handle facing towards the left, pushed a little more inward, than the others. In the background, there is a light shining through lighting up the teacups, and shadows are formed. A curved line is also shaped contrasting the light from dark.

    Read More

  • Romantic Ballet

    3140 Words  | 7 Pages

    Ballet has been an art form since the late fifteenth century, but society did not truly see the impact of ballet until the nineteenth century. Modern day thinkers possess the idea that ballet began with tutus and pointe shoes, but it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that this opinion was observed. Ballet has come a long way. It has survived the turmoil of many wars and has changed itself by accepting new ideas and impressing the audience with its unique stylistic views.

    Read More

  • Agnes de Mille’s Impact in the World of Dance

    1399 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the years, America has pursued the performing arts in a large variety of ways. Theatre plays a dramatic and major role in the arts of our society today, and it takes great effort in all aspects. Musical Theatre, specifically, involves a concentration and strength in dance, acting, and singing. This is the base that Musical Theatre is built upon. For my Senior Project, I helped choreograph multiple scenes in a community musical “Thoroughly Modern Millie”. Choreography is a way of expressing oneself, but it has not always been thought of for that purpose. Agnes de Mille’s expressive talent has drastically affected how people see choreography today. Agnes de Mille’s influence in the world of dance has left a lasting impact in the Performing Arts Department, and her revolutionary works are still known today for their wit, lyricism, emotion, and charm.

    Read More

  • Pippin's Journey to Discover His Purpose in Life

    1921 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...n maybe could be played by another person in the background, and let Vereen concentrate on his leader role. With more narration in between scenes as well as acts, this will serve as a bridge so the audience can fully understand what is happening. Another element to add is more historical background on Charlemagne. This could have been included in the narration as only a short background was presented. On a brighter note, the costumes reflected the roles of the characters and that the characters connected the story through song; music is incorporated in the performance perfectly, not to mention the humor and comedic relief to some tragic parts. The candor of Pippin’s discovery of what is truly meaningful to his heart is a great ending and gives a warm-fuzzy feeling to the audience. This musical is most worthwhile and contains all the elements of a great production.

    Read More

  • The Major Themes in Russell Freedman's Martha Graham, a Dancer’s Life

    906 Words  | 2 Pages

    To begin with, Martha’s desperate effort was one of her strong strengths. When Martha began dance, many people murmured that Martha would fail because she was “quite a few years above the average age of all the other girls in the school” (28), “dumpy, [and] unprepossessing” (28). However, she astonished her dance teachers and others “with her determination to learn and her quick mastery of difficult exercises, gestures, and steps” (30). Martha usually spent her time on the studio alone all day and night, seeking for unique, exotic, and alluring movements of her own. Ted Shawn, Mar...

    Read More

  • Anna Paavlova And The Russian Ballet

    1128 Words  | 3 Pages

    Anna Pavlova perfected a new art form. Her passion and dedication to ballet impacted Russia’s culture and the direction in this specific art. Pavlova was recognized as the leading artist for both Imperial Russian Ballet and Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev while her best ballet performances included the Birth of a Dying Swan and The Dragonfly. Anna impacted Russian ballet but it originated in Russia by Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich and Peter the Great which brought this exquisite art to their country while others played an integral part to make this art spectacular. Pavlova shared her incredible talent and today ballet plays an active and important role in Russia.

    Read More

  • The Nutcracker: A Magical Story

    123 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Nutcracker is a magical story with many versions, including plays, ballets, stories, and movies. They might be different in ways, but the plot remains the same in all of them. In The Nutcracker, Clara, the main character, gets a nutcracker doll from her Uncle Drosselmeyer, also her godfather, her brother Fritz in some stories takes the doll and breaks it. In the end of all of them The Nutcracker turns out to be a prince, he and Clara dance in the Kingdom of Sweets, along with the sugar plum fairy, gumdrop people, and other candy people. The orgianal story

    Read More

  • The Nutcracker Suite

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fantasia sees the world as very colorful place where everything has a purpose. The evidence for this is in their interpretive animations in the series of music pieced together to create the nutcracker suite. All the animations in the song are utilized to their max potential. For example, the seaweed in the Arabian dance is used as a curtain of sorts to the fishes cave.

    Read More

  • Mao's Last Dancer Essay

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    Li’s passion for ballet shows on and off stage through his arabesques, flexibility, fouettés, grande jeté and pirouettes that were nothing less than perfection. I understood that becoming a dancer requires commitment, passion and having a great memory as there’s many moves, routines and ballet terms that you need to learn. When I was performing on stage, I felt free and that I could own the stage as it felt like it was my second home. I also felt complete within myself just as Li felt. To perform on stage, you need to be light and graceful along with connecting to the music using precise steps, poses and formal gestures. The film used dance, music, scenery, and costumes to portray a story characterised by Li’s dance. Classical ballet dancers require the utmost grace and I’ve found that you also need a tremendous level of concentration and memory. This portrays when his choreographer Ben Stevenson asked Li Cunxin to replace the main male role due to an injury on the day of the performance to memorise new dances and perform them in front of an enormous crowd. Many of my performances have been in a group where we all need to be in sync and work together. This film highlighted that in order to become a professional ballet dancer, you have to prepare to work extremely hard no matter how gruelling the schedule is in order to

    Read More

  • Difference between Greek and Modern Theatres

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    The circular area in the middle of the theatre is called the orchestra. The music of the orchestra. In ancient Greek times this area would have been used for dancing and where the ‘chorus’ would sing and perform. A ‘chorus’ was. a group of people who would play a major part in ancient plays often describing scenes much like a modern narrator.

    Read More

  • Dancing Elegantly: Analysis of a 19th Century Waltz

    1109 Words  | 3 Pages

    Allison Bonetti, a dancer in the performance, is quoted, remarking, “I feel dizzy every time we complete the Waltz section, but I don’t feel dirty or scandalous, as I would after, say I maybe danced in a club. I think I speak for many of us when I say that the Waltz feels like a dance my grandmother would do.” In fact, the performance is misleading seeing as it is paired with very formal and controlled dances such as the Pavane and the minuet. In fact, modern historians such as Mark Knowles have compared the Waltz to social hip hop dances of today such as “krumping and grinding” since through the ages social dances have been “manifestations of society’s beliefs, values, attitudes, confusions, and concerns.” If the performance was to correctly convey this notion, it would have beneficial to place the nineteenth century Waltz in the second half of the performance, along with dances like the Quan and the Whip. However, in order to maintain chronological accuracy, the Waltz was placed in the beginning of the performance, overall failing to reveal the true nature of the nineteenth century

    Read More

  • The History of the Nutcracker Ballet

    687 Words  | 2 Pages

    When we think about The Nutcracker today, we see a memorable story about a girl (Marie) receiving a magical gift at a Christmas party from her mysterious Uncle Dosselmeyer. The gift is a nutcracker. Later that night, the nutcracker ends up turning into a Prince after defeating the Mouse King and saves Marie. Then, he takes Marie to a land called The Kingdom of Sweets where she is greeted by the Sugarplum fairy. This story is one of the most recognized ballets across the globe. However, what we do not think about is the way this ballet was created and how no one believed in the story as a great ballet.

    Read More

  • Fall Dance Concert Analysis

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    The performance sets up the scene with the female dancers dressed as prominent women throughout history such as Rosie the Riveter, Nillie Bly, Mother Teresa, Amelia Earhart, and Florence Nightingale. The women take turns in the spotlight, using their movements to tell their story and significance in history. The story of Amelia Earhart was told symbolically through the performer’s actions. The audience are introduced to Earhart’s love of flying and her aspirations to be a renown female pilot through the performer’s imitation as a graceful plane flying across the stage with glee. However, her story takes a dark turn when she embarks on a quest to prove herself as a capable pilot in spite of being a woman. We see her downfall when her character, as a plane, struggles to stay in flight and eventually tumbles and falls, exiting the stage soon after to show her mysterious disappearance during her quest. The performer playing as Earhart succeeded in portraying her story and her downfall. The dancer’s performance as Earhart was followed by another significant performance which was the dance of Mother Teresa, who took the spotlight with her reserved yet expressive dances. During her dance, Mother Teresa made a notable move where she wanders the stage and places a hand on each of the women in a caring way, like a mother would do to her child. This action she performed in her dance

    Read More

  • The History of Ballet and Beginner's Techniques

    1601 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ballet has roots in ancient Greek theaters and Italian court balls. Over time, ballet has progressed. Today’s ballet begins by learning the five basic positions. Beginning dancers will learn several moves and steps, most of which are listed above, that they will eventually build upon. The moves mentioned help dancers to prepare for more advanced ballet.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In The Cinderella

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    When you first enter the theater, you are immediately in awe of the strongest aspect of this production: the set. The stage features a life-sized enchanted forest with “tress” as tall as the ceiling and a lit-up backdrop of a twilight sky. The tress would move around throughout the performance to make way for different scenes. In front of your very eyes, an enchanted forest would turn into the outside of a charming house with a lit porch and a well. The twilight sky would turn to a starlit sky and a soft spotlight simulating moonlight would compliment the faint sound of crickets. Suddenly the house and tress move around and you’re in a town with a little cart selling baguettes, or a lush dining room with Victorian wallpaper, a chandelier, and china displayed on the walls. The world shakes once again and now you’re in, inevitably, a ballroom. A white Victorian gate opens up to become the walls of the ballroom, and a white marble bridge and staircase appear for the outside of the castle. Adults and children alike were in awe of the craftsmanship and technology.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of The Nutcracker Ballet

Open Document