The following is intended to provide general information. The origin of the nutcracker, a classic christmas story, is a fairy tale ballet in two acts centered on. The nutcracker dance of the sugar plum fairy trap remix. Nowhere is this more true than in brooklyn, which has a wide variety of nutcracker offerings this december, ranging from traditional to reimagined, from kid to. The nutcracker is based on the book the nutcracker and the mouse king, by e. Some versions however simply treat the ballet as a colorful and light divertisement for all who view it. Students may view segments from the nutcracker video balanchines andor from the nutcracker on ice. Hoffmanns tale was all about rejecting realism and nutcracker fantasy best exemplifies the hallucinogenic qualities of the story, particularly in one lushly animated scene where clara and her nutcracker prince take various forms and dance together. My favorite nutcracker music lesson ideas organized chaos. Instead, marie faints and falls on the bed after the battle, and the nutcracker exits.
For students of new york city ballet, it is, among other things, a learning tool for younger dancers and a gauge of how management i. Nutcracker project unit outline and strategy education. Hoffmann, in which young marie stahlbaums favourite christmas toy, the nutcracker, comes alive and, after defeating the evil mouse king in battle, whisks her away to a magical kingdom populated by dolls. If you are using the adventchristmasepiphany curriculum, you probably have been singing tip toe of the sugar plum fairy. Dance of the sugar plum fairy from the nutcracker the royal ballet. I hear there is a barishnikov version of this film recorded in 1976 that is really out of sight. In more or less traditional versions of the nutcracker, however, shes the. It was turned into something quite different later in the history of the story and ballet.
Hoffmann, and an interpretation of hoffmans story written by alexandre dumas. Maurice sendak worked on a version of the nutcracker for the pacific northwest. I find multiple versions in our school library and have found many more at used bookstores and garage sales. Have students analyze their version of the story to determine if they think it is a fairy tale. Two different versions of the nutcracker are on tap in vero beach this upcoming holiday season. What are the lyrics to the nutcrackers the sugar plum. The nutcracker simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
The classic 1940 walt disney film featured dancing animated fairies, fish, flowers, mushrooms and leaves. Hoffmanns 1816 fairy tale, on which the ballet is based. Comparing and contrasting the nutcrackers sugarplum fairies. Of all the nutcracker adaptations covered here, this is the hidden gem that deserves a second. Still, this is the nutcracker to turn to when youre looking to soundtrack your family cookie bake. Not to soon to be thinking about the nutcracker ballet. There are as many different versions of the nutcracker as there are groups performing it, but a few things are usually constant.
Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. This version requires either casting an older dancer with intermediateadvanc. Why is maries name usually changed to clara in the. For choreographers relying on the same original libretto of nutcracker, sharp variations in style account for different pleasures. They compare descriptive uses of language and drawings. Inside 3 very different versions of the nutcracker from the familiar balanchine classic to a new production with a serious hip hop spin. The origin of the nutcracker, a classic christmas story, is a fairy tale ballet in two acts centered on a familys christmas eve celebration. The sugar plum fairy begins a celebration and marie is showered with many performances by her and other sweets. Although what is seen on the stage today is different in detail from the original story, the basic plot remains the same. Her choreography abounds in different images in which she. This version should be different than the read aloud. Hoffmann was commissioned by the director of the imperial theatres ivan vsevolozhsky in 1891. The nutcracker this is the first version we bought for my daughter. The sugar plum fairys own dances are the entertainments pinnacles.
Join marie, fritz, and the intriguing nutcracker himself on a magical adventure only possible on a night like christmas eve. Tchaikovskys adaptation of the story the nutcracker and the mouse king by e. How many different versions of the nutcracker are there. The ballet has been performed in many different places since then. The nutcracker seem like too many other classical ballets.
There are so many versions of the nutcracker that have really cool characters and have different variances. Peter wrights nighon definitive production for the royal ballet ranks as one of the most enduring and enchanting versions of the nutcracker. Two versions of the original nutcracker offer two kinds. The story of a young german girl who dreams of a nutcracker prince and a fierce battle against a mouse king with. Hoffmanns 1816 fairy tale the nutcracker and the mouse king. I personally prefer to read the book as well as watch the ballet versions. This lovely retelling of the famous ballet will be a perfect holiday gift for any child who loves the ballet, christmas stories, and fairy tales. The nutcracker is a twoact ballet by pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky. Inside 3 very different versions of the nutcracker.
Nutcracker themed christmas tree sugar plum fairy a. The students also create their own play based on their favorite version of the story. I will continue to see different versions of the nutcracker performed by various troupes until i am satisfied. Have students choose a version of the nutcracker to read on their own. The nutcracker in london, four different versions the. Perhaps the biggest downside to so many different nutcracker versions over the years has been the progressive watering down of e. Today i want to share some of my favorite lesson ideas using the nutcracker that i love doing with my elementary students, and im also including a linkup at the end of the post for other bloggers to share their favorite nutcracker lessons, so be sure to check those out as well. The ballet was inspired by the nutcracker and the mouse king, published in 1815 by the german author e. Ivan vsevolozhsky and marius petipa adapted hoffmanns story for the ballet. To reward marie for breaking the spell that the nutcracker was under the prince takes her to the land of snow and then to the land of sweets.
No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Nutcracker suite 3 nutcracker suite internet archive. Moscow ballets version of the nutcracker ballet, known as the great russian nutcracker, includes other unique elements in the telling of the. They were such famous stories that other composers readthem and set them to to music. It was originally meant to be danced by the sugar plum fairy and her cavalier, but is now very often danced by the nutcracker prince and clara, the girl through whose eyes we experience the entire story, and who is the heroine and female lead of the ballet. The best, worst and weirdest versions of the nutcracker. The nutcracker ballet is based on the story the nutcracker and the king of mice written by e. Balanchine made some musical edits for his production, adding an entracte originally. The best versions of the nutcracker ballet andrea lundgren. An abridged version of the ballet was first performed outside russia in budapest royal opera house in 1927, with choreography by ede. Our critic sorts out whats true to the ballets heart and a different thing to its tradition. Under the baton of bychkov, the berlin band turn light and airy. I watch the nutcracker ballet every year around christmastime, usually via film, and over the years, ive easily seen a dozen different versions, so i thought it might be fun to share the top five versions of this classic story and later this week, well discuss. In 1919, choreographer alexander gorsky staged a production which eliminated the sugar plum fairy and her cavalier and gave their dances to clara and the nutcracker prince, who were played by adults instead of children.
Dance of the sugar plum fairy from the nutcracker the. History of nutcracker moscow ballets great russian nutcracker. I watch the nutcracker ballet every year around christmastime, usually via film, and over the years, ive easily seen a dozen different versions, so i thought it might be fun to share the top five versions of this classic story and later this week, well discuss why this story has had such staying power as compared to other, similar fantasies written around the same time. The sugar plum fairy from the nutcracker suite written in 189192 by pyotr iiyich tchaikovsky.
And of course, there is always the sugar plum fairy. Five different groups will be putting on the nutcracker in wichita this year, and all of them are different from what weve seen before. The journey through the snow sequence, in many other productions danced by clara and the nutcracker immediately after his transformation into a prince, is not danced at all in the balanchine version, although the music is played. These nutcracker books for kids are perfect for the holiday season. Which versions of the nutcracker have clara the sugar plum fairy. Since the late 1960s, productions of the nutcracker, originally a two act ballet, in the united states have been extremely popular aroundduring the christmas and new years holiday timeseason.
In the clara version, clara is the one who dances en pointe with the nutcracker prince in the end instead of there being the sugarplum fairy. Balletomanes and critics like to complain about seeing the nutcracker over and over again, but the truth is that even lessthangreat versions of the ballet exercise a kind of magic through. For many music teachers, december in the music room means the nutcracker. So, this particular nutcracker themed christmas tree was inspired by the sugar plum fairy.
Discover the many roles in tchaikovskys the nutcracker. In america it has become a traditional christmas entertainment and is often sugary in its treatment. It is also interesting to compare different ballet versions because each culture has their own style, artistically and culturally. My daughter has performed in the nutcracker ballet for the last ten years. The original production was staged by marius petipa on 18 december 1892, premiering on a doublebill with a now semiforgotten tchaikovsky opera, iolanta. Be sure to follow the directions in your songbook or manual to engage your children in the discernment activities. So, for fun, i decided to add them here for interested people. Hoffmann was set to music by tchaikovsky and originally choreographed by marius petipa. Versions different performances of the song by the same artist. Classical ballets have evolved over time, lending themselves to different interpretations as choreographers and directors create works that reflect their visions of the story. It tells the story of a little girl who goes to the land of sweets on christmas eve. There is almost always a little girl, marie or clara, around who the story is based, and there is always a nutcracker and lots of candy. Hoffmann, but most everyone is familiar with his most famous creation.
Dance of the sugar plum fairy from the nutcracker the royal. This year, my nutcracker tree was inspired by the ballerina in our family. A hoffmanns original story and its aura of mystery, rooted in the german romantic movement. Music appreciation and history pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky and the nutcracker ballet. The nutcracker ballet was written during the classical period of ballet, a time when many famous ballets were being written and performed. Compilations other albums which feature this performance of the song.
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