By Barbara Palmgren
Studio6Twenty5 presented The Nutcracker in December as did Mattie Kelly Arts
Center hosted by Northwest Florida Ballet in mid-November. It seems the public can’t get enough of this classic holiday fairytale.
What is so magical about this timeless treasure? Is it the music composed by Tchaikovsky which leaves the audience applauding to iconic pieces like “Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy,” Waltz of the Flowers,” or “Dance of the Reed Flutes?” Or is it the exquisite ballet dancing that accompanies the music?
The full ballet score unfolds across two acts, taking the audience first to a Christmas party in the late 1800’s where we meet teenage Clara receives a nutcracker doll that comes to life. The brave nutcracker first leads the toys in a battle against the Mouse King and his army and then, transformed as a handsome prince, transports Clara to a mystical kingdom where the Sugar Plum Fairy and her court perform dances representing different cultures (Spanish, Arabian, Russian and Chinese.)
Of course, Clara wakes up from her dream as does the audience, holding on to a precious memory of the annual ballet that continues to mesmerize us.
