The Nutcracker
It was December 10, 2014. The sky had grown dark, and the cold air whipped around me as I hurried to the stage entrance of the auditorium. As I pulled open the large door, a rush of warm air blew by me, bringing with it the smells of hairspray and synthetic fog. Quickly, I ran down the dimly lit, metal stairway passing several fellow dancers dressed in gorgeous costumes. Seeing them so prepared made me walk even faster since I was late and it was only forty-five minutes until the show started. It was the opening night of our ballet company’s performance of the Nutcracker, and I could feel the tense excitement in the air. I had many parts, including the part of Marzipan, which was my dream role, and I could hardly contain my nervousness.
…show more content…
I observed the other dancers warming up as I tied the ribbons of my pointe shoes. I watched as a talented male dancer propelled himself across the stage and then threw himself up into air. There was a split second when he appeared suspended in midair before he noiselessly returned himself to the floor as though gravity had no power over him. On the other side of the stage, a ballerina in a gold tutu executed a dizzying number of rapid turns, her jeweled costume glittering even in the shadows. On the far corner of the stage, a few members of the corps were going over their choreography. They performed a series of jumps and then upon finishing they rose up in arabesque on pointe and balanced on the small tip of their shoes. All this was flawlessly executed behind a closed curtain while waiting for the show to …show more content…
This was the moment that I had been waiting for. I forgot my nerves and allowed myself to trust my training and quickly became lost in the music. At some point during the performance, it seemed I had convinced myself that the audience wasn’t even there. So, as soon as the music ended, I was almost surprised to hear the audience’s thundering applause. I was fully aware that it wasn’t a perfect performance, but I was too exhilarated and excited to care. I quickly ran to the front of the stage curtseyed to the audience and then ran off stage with the noise of the applause still roaring in my head. I was dazed by the thrill of performing for a crowd, but I had no time to appreciate this. I had to prepare for my next role, which was snow, so I hurriedly ran back to the dressing
Learning about Dance: Dance as an Art Form and Entertainment provides visions into the many features of dance and inspires scholars to keep an open mind and think critically about the stimulating, bold, ever-changing and active world of dance. Learning about Dance is particularly useful for those who do not have a wide and diverse dance contextual, such as students in a preliminary level or survey dance course. This book consists of twelve chapters. Chapter one dance as an art form focuses on the basic structures of dance. Dance is displayed through the human body, it has the control to communicate and induce reactions. Dance can be found in many different places, it enables the participants and seekers to touch and knowledge the joy of movement. Dance is discovered as being one of the oldest art forms worldwide. Dance existed in early cultures was recognized in a sequence of rock paintings portrayed dance. Since this discovery of rock paintings, several other forms of art have been found that depict dance. People used rituals in order to worship the gods and believed that the rituals held magical and spiritual powers. During the ancient period civilizations sentient decisions began to be made with regard to dance. Other periods that had an impact on dance were the medieval period, the renaissance period, and the contemporary period. Chapter two the choreographer, the choreographer is a person who comes up with the movements created into a dance routine. The choreographer expresses themselves through choreography because this is their way of communicating with the audience. In order to be a choreographer you must have a passion for dance. Each choreographer has their own approaches and ways of making up a routine. Choreographers ...
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
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
I gained something more than the experience, however, I developed a dream that turned into a goal. Determined, I wanted to perform, to leave others in awe and hopefully have them experience the same feelings as I did watching The Nutcracker. Confusingly, I looked at her, I responded that I was, she then explained that the Hispanic community of the parish was starting a folklore dance group to dance during the holidays. Excitement rushed throughout my body when my mom agreed to let me take part in the group, she *explained that she didn't.
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.
The theatre is full of young men and women. The gas lanterns dimly light the room and the silhouette of a figure can be seen in the shadows of the stage. As she emerges, she is like a dream: a tall, elegant body with a form fitting bodice and tutu. She is entrancing on her tiny pointe shoes as she floats across the stage. Love and passion fill the air as she moves in such a way that is almost magical. The Romantic Ballet Period introduced the aspects of theme, costume, and new technique to the dance world and its influences are still seen in contemporary works in ballet.
As I overlooked the syllabus for Intro to western music I was excited while reviewing the requirements of the concert report. I only vaguely remember attending the production of The Nutcracker once as a child and looked forward to the new experience. I grabbed my ever supporting husband, dropped our kids off at grandmas and headed to the opera. While approaching the venue you could identify who might also be attending the show by their polished attire and exited faces. While walking from the parking garage I looked up and The Benedum was in sight, I was captivated by the sign illuminated with flashing lights, showcasing the title of the show.
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet featuring original composition by Peter Llyick Tchaikovsky. This show originally premiered, on a double-bill with Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta, at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg on Sunday, December 18, 1892. The show has had hundreds of different renditions since then. The ballet’s featured choreography tells a tale consisting of a long dream story within its main plot. During the opening scene, The Party Scene, a large group of men and women, girls and boys, all celebrate the holiday around the Christmas tree marching and dancing beautifully as Christmas surprises begin to occur.
The performance lasted an hour and a half, and that time completely flew. I found myself to be engaged along with the rest of the audience. I expected the performers to be mediocre, but they impressed me by how wonderful they were at acting out their parts. The girl that played Pippi Longstocking (Bailey Keith) was such a good actress, and I could not help but laugh every time she would speak her lines. She acted so childish and chipper, just as Pippi Longstocking would if she were a real person. I really expected to hate having to attend this performance, especially since I went by myself. Surprisingly, I had a fun time. In the middle of March, the North Caroline Theatre for Young People is planning to present James and the Giant Peach. Normally, I would not plan to ever attend an event like this ever again. I do, however, plan to attend this musical play. I might even bring my little cousin and my grandmother along with me. I have known that the University of North Carolina at Greensboro is recognized as a top performing arts school, but I did not expect the acting to be at such a high level. I have also attended various musical recitals on campus, and I have also been extremely impressed with them, too. Although I have never seen a dance event here at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, I plan to attend one very soon. I hope that my expectations will be exceeded once
If the stage would have been blended with the right visual lights and the different themes showcased theatrically it would been a sight to behold since the simplicity killed it to a certain extent and at some point it sound like repetition and it loses its thrill. A lot of people use this concert to reflect on the world war one and two as they celebrate their Christmas. It features more than three hundred students and community artists whom perform a variety of Christmas songs.
As we all waited in line to go into the concert there was a thrill of excitement in the air. I was standing there with two of my friends. when we saw a few other people we knew. " Hey, come over here!" I bellowed.
As a prospective doctor, I can expect to encounter life’s biggest challenges. Life and Death situations will present themselves, and it will be up to me to make a spontaneous decision which portrays confidence, finesse, and accuracy. There’s so little time to ponder the best procedure to perform; so little time to waste. Dance has prepared me for this type of challenge. It has perfected the preciseness in my judgments. On stage, there have been times when I will forget my steps and my mind goes blank; anxiousness seeps in rushing with adrenaline, and the initial thought is to “book it” and flee, but my experience in dance has enabled my ability to make quick altercations in the choreography, preventing the ruination of the showcase. Similarly, when an alarming case presents itself, as a doctor, I will be ready to make an accurate decision.
Arriving at the prom in silence, my escort and I were quickly ushered into position behind the other representatives. The procession started; I felt like Cinderella at the ball. While the announcer introduced the representatives and their escorts, I visualized myself walking gracefully up the ramp as the audience looked on.
"Oh my God!" was echoed through the room and I couldn't believe that I was walking up to the stage. This wasn't right because I shouldn't get the award, or should I? I knew the answer as soon as it was placed in my hand. It was going to be a long ride, but I deserved every bit of it. I had shown the judges that I knew what I was doing and was confident at all times.
While the steps of dancers and the co-ordination amongst the team was being repeatedly rehearsed, the teachers decided upon the dresses, jewellery and makeup of the dancers. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the preparation to the big event.