A San Franciscan Holiday Tradition- SF Ballet’s The Nutcracker

Every girl dreams of being a ballerina at some point in their lives, and for me, ideas of ballet started with The Nutcracker and the story of A Very Young Dancer, a book that illustrated the Nutcracker season with New York City Ballet. From that moment, I have been enchanted with the idea of ballet and the artistry that comes along with it. 

However, I’ve never been able to see the ballet live until I witnessed San Francisco ballet’s Nutcracker. As the oldest ballet company in the United States, SF Ballet does things a little differently than your standard Nutcracker production. While Balanchine’s production of Nutcracker might be the most famous, as NYCB has been prominent with shows like Disney+’s On Pointe, SF Ballet dazzled me for my first live performance of ballet — and solidified that the company’s history is one of the reasons it stands as a supreme force as a ballet company. 

The story of the Nutcracker is tradition during the holiday season. Clara’s adventures with the Nutcracker have been told throughout the years in many ways, but most stick to the original story. However, SF Ballet places the originally Victorian-era ballet in 1915 San Francisco, changing elements for a more modern time and thus distinguishing itself from other performances and interpretations. 

One of the most notable changes is the grand pas that is normally performed by the Sugar Plum and her cavalier. Instead, an older version of Clara performs this piece with the Nutcracker Prince as her cavalier, dazzling in a magical story of love that principal artists Nikisha Fogo and Aaron Robison performed with beauty and grace. The grand pas pair had amazing stage presence, merged with a stunning classical technique that entranced the whole audience. Robison stunned me with the height of his jumps and spins, his stability when partnering with Fogo unlike anything I had ever seen.

Other changes were a shift of the Land of the Sweets, with the traditional concepts of each different dance in Act Two pertaining to some dessert or sweet changing to regions of the world and their cultural traditions. The Chinese dance was a celebration with a dragon chasing a dancer to illustrate traditional Chinese dance, and what is normally known as Marzipan was a vaudeville-esque dance with ribbons and various props.

The opening of Act Two with the Sugar Plum was decorated with SF ballet students, as they performed as little ladybugs, dragonflies, and butterflies. From toy soldiers to circus performers underneath the tent of Madame du Cirque, the young performers within the Nutcracker ballet add to the whimsical nature of the ballet, as getting to see the next generation of dancers on stage alongside the SF company is something so amazing to see.You could see the awe of the young children as they dance alongside some of their idols, and the young dancers within SF ballet’s academy help to create an atmosphere that the entire family enjoys, making them a highlight of each Nutcracker performance.

The technique of the entire company was gorgeous throughout the ballet, and I could not keep my eyes off of the dancers. There was always something going on, someone new to look at, performing intricate pirouettes and jumps that seemed impossible. The Corps de Ballet were the epitome of perfection, as the snow dance seemed impeccable. A flurry of turns and jumps in mock snow that poured onto the stage like a real blizzard made the dancers seem angelic, their artistry shown through their precise technique. The corps continued their show-stopping artistry with the Waltz of the Flowers, a piece which had the dancers centered around Sugarplum fairy Sasha De Sola. Sola was beautiful, her technique the strongest of any dancer that night, her upper arm artistry picture perfect. The Corps de Ballet accompanied De Sola alongside her, creating a beautiful and airy scene as they all waltzed together, becoming a beautiful field of flowers with their choreography. 

Every dancer seemed to light up the stage, the story of the Nutcracker revitalized once again throughout the performance. A timeless tradition on stage was executed perfectly thanks to SF ballet, with some unexpected changes that enhanced the story that has been told year after year. This experience at the ballet was something that was the absolute perfect way to kick off the holiday season, and I cannot wait to see what else SF ballet has within their 2023-2024 season. 

Article by: Ashley Mauldin 

Photos by: Reneff-Olson Productions (SF Ballet)