By Ben Stewart member of the corps de ballet of San Francisco Ballet December 16, 2009
Hello friends, it’s Nutcracker time once again! This is my favorite year so far because it has been stress-free and the most fun. I believe that, in my fourth year, I can finally relax and enjoy performing because I know the choreography and I have gotten over my nerves about performing the Dancing Nutcracker doll.
I think the role of Dancing Nutcracker is probably the most difficult and nerve-racking part in Nutcracker. Ask any dancer who has to put on the five-pound head which you can barely see out of and try to do a double-tour and turns in second. The task is difficult and I remember almost having a panic attack every show before performing the role my first season!
On top of wearing the enormous head which is hard to see out of, there are a lot of difficult maneuvers you have to perform inside of the very small box so that the magic takes place. I remember my first year having the box close down on the toe of my boot and pin it there and I almost couldn’t get my foot unstuck before the box opened and I had to march out! Imagine how nervous I was in the dark small box not able to move my foot thinking “this box is going to open and I’m going to be stuck here like a tack to the ground!” Luckily the last hard tug I gave pulled my boot free just in the nick of time and I marched out with a panicked look on my face. Good thing no one could see my face.
Now that it is my fourth year, I don’t have panic attacks anymore. I calmly put on the costume and take comfort in the fact that I haven’t fallen on my rear yet, so it’s most likely I’ll do just fine, lol. I might not always land my double tour perfectly, but I still try to nail it as best I can. Some nights are better than others. It is always an on-the-edge-of-your-seat moment for everyone on stage and backstage to see how the Dancing Nutcracker does. Will he make his double tour and turns? One of my tricks used to be clenching every muscle in my body for the entire time I was on stage. It worked for the most part, but it became a little strenuous. I have figured out how to perform the role a little more calmly now and figured out little tricks over the years on how to actually turn in the large head, because the problem is you can’t spot while you turn.
Hopefully next time you see SFB’s Nutcracker you will have a whole new appreciation of what the Dancing Nutcracker has to go through! : ) I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New Year!
The Dancing Nutcracker: a Tough Nut to Crack
member of the corps de ballet of San Francisco Ballet
December 16, 2009
Hello friends, it’s Nutcracker time once again! This is my favorite year so far because it has been stress-free and the most fun. I believe that, in my fourth year, I can finally relax and enjoy performing because I know the choreography and I have gotten over my nerves about performing the Dancing Nutcracker doll.
The Dancing Nutcracker in the party scene (© Erik Tomasson)
I think the role of Dancing Nutcracker is probably the most difficult and nerve-racking part in Nutcracker. Ask any dancer who has to put on the five-pound head which you can barely see out of and try to do a double-tour and turns in second. The task is difficult and I remember almost having a panic attack every show before performing the role my first season!
On top of wearing the enormous head which is hard to see out of, there are a lot of difficult maneuvers you have to perform inside of the very small box so that the magic takes place. I remember my first year having the box close down on the toe of my boot and pin it there and I almost couldn’t get my foot unstuck before the box opened and I had to march out! Imagine how nervous I was in the dark small box not able to move my foot thinking “this box is going to open and I’m going to be stuck here like a tack to the ground!” Luckily the last hard tug I gave pulled my boot free just in the nick of time and I marched out with a panicked look on my face. Good thing no one could see my face.
The Dancing Nutcracker backstage (© Erik Tomasson)
Now that it is my fourth year, I don’t have panic attacks anymore. I calmly put on the costume and take comfort in the fact that I haven’t fallen on my rear yet, so it’s most likely I’ll do just fine, lol. I might not always land my double tour perfectly, but I still try to nail it as best I can. Some nights are better than others. It is always an on-the-edge-of-your-seat moment for everyone on stage and backstage to see how the Dancing Nutcracker does. Will he make his double tour and turns? One of my tricks used to be clenching every muscle in my body for the entire time I was on stage. It worked for the most part, but it became a little strenuous. I have figured out how to perform the role a little more calmly now and figured out little tricks over the years on how to actually turn in the large head, because the problem is you can’t spot while you turn.
Hopefully next time you see SFB’s Nutcracker you will have a whole new appreciation of what the Dancing Nutcracker has to go through! : ) I wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and a Happy New Year!