“Amateurish”, “lopsided”, “ponderous” and “insipid” are just a few critiques that the Saint Petersburg premier of The Nutcracker ballet received on December 18th, 1892. What went wrong, and how did The Nutcracker become the annual classic performed around the world?
First mistake, too many kids! Professional ballet companies at the time would cast adults for any children’s roles, and the use of real children received heavy criticism. Second mistake, it’s too confusing! One well-known critic said of the battle scene, “One cannot understand anything. Disorderly pushing about from corner to corner and running backwards and forwards –quite amateurish.”Better received was Tchaikovsky’s music, although some critics found the score for the party scene “ponderous” and the Grand Pas de Deux “insipid.”
The Nutcracker ballet wouldn’t be performed again for many years, although Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite was very popular. He did not live to see the success of his music, dying less than a year after the Saint Petersburg premier. In 1934 The Nutcracker was restaged with the main criticism addressed, child roles were relegated to the periphery and all the major dancing was done by adults. That same year the complete ballet premiered in London, England, it’s first full performance outside of Russia. While the role of adult dancers initially revived The Nutcracker, I believe Tchaikovsky’s music ultimately led to the ballet’s huge success.
In 1940 Walt Disney introduced a wider audience to The Nutcracker score when he used selections in the 1940 film Fantasia. Four years later the San Francisco Ballet presented the first US production to great success! In 1954 The New York City Ballet presented a restaged version under the direction of George Balanchine which is widely credited with turning The Nutcracker into an annual Christmas tradition in the United States.
And the final reason The Nutcracker is so ubiquitous during the holiday season? It’s a cash cow, with many dance companies earning nearly half their annual revenue from it! The Nutcracker was the very first production I worked on after I started work at the Reif Center on December 1st, 1996. There have been many changes to the Reif Center and our production since then. That first year we had no drops and made extensive use of gobos (metal patterns) of trees, snowflakes and ornaments. For a few early productions we even used a real tree for the party scene! After our 2016 renovation we added more backdrops and special lighting effects. Some years we have a huge Mother Ginger, sometimes we don’t (we don’t this year, in case you were wondering). We’ve had our near disasters, like the time a huge candy cane fell over during the Land of the Sweets! We have some special touches unique to Grand Rapids. Greg Johnson, our local KISSaholic, adds unusual and decidedly anachronistic décor to the set! It’s a tradition now, and the dancers can’t wait for it to be added!
One story I particularly like,is how a member of our backstage crew was “discovered” leading to his current professional dance career! But, I’ll let him tell the story in his own words.
Nathan Mariano “From a young age, I always had an appreciation for the performing arts that was largely fostered by the Reif Center’s diverse programing. Whether it was theater, acrobatics, music, or dancing, the shows I saw at the Reif always left me fascinated with live performance. Around the age of eleven, I got involved in local children’s theater productions that first exposed me to being onstage. While participating in those productions, I discovered a love for performing onstage and the way it allowed me to tell stories through characters that were larger than life. It was a very enticing feeling that resulted in a hunger to experience the performing arts in any way I could.
I remember around this age, I attended a school-time theatrical performance that involved actors dressed as barnyard animals retelling classic folklore and fairytales. The target audience of this production was definitely a bit younger than eleven year old me, but I remember how the simplicity of the story allowed me to focus on the craft of the actors onstage. I was enamored with their ability to commit to telling a silly children’s story with so much energy and intention behind their characters. Their craftsmanship astounded me. After seeing that show, I remember coming to the realization that I wanted to become a performer.
When I was thirteen, I heard through the grapevine that the Reif technical staff was looking for some teenagers who would be interested in working backstage and learning about being a theater technician. I eagerly said yes and was soon put in contact with John Miller, the Reif’s Technical Director. While working for John, I was able to learn many things about the world of professional performing arts that went beyond what I had previously experienced in the recreational and academic realms. I learned how much the traveling artists I interacted with cared about their craft. I learned how much effort was put into supporting a touring show behind the scenes.
In addition to all I learned, I was also exposed to different types of performing arts up close. I remember I was working backstage during Reif Dance’s 2013 production of the Nutcracker. I saw the dancers rehearsing all throughout their tech week and into performances, and I remember thinking how exhilarating and energetic their dancing was. After witnessing them perform every night, I had the itch to try dance. So once the show closed, I went up to the dance director the following week and asked to enroll in a class.”
Where are you and what are you doing now?
“I currently live in Denver, Colorado and am a professional dancer working for Wonderbound, a contemporary dance company. At Wonderbound we create productions that incorporate live music, sets, and acting to tell stories through movement and dance.”
Did you have any favorite roles during your time at the Reif?
“One of my favorite roles that I performed on the Reif stage was the Nutcracker back in 2016. In that show, I was both able to dance the exhilarating battle scene as well as dance the beautiful grande pas de deux at the end of the ballet. Grande Pas is my favorite music in the Nutcracker suite, and dancing to it is a memory I cherish.”
How about since you’ve been dancing professionally?
“Last year I was able to dance the role of Sam, in Wonderbound’s Sam & Delilah. The show was a retelling of a biblical tale set in rural Palestine, Texas during the 1970’s and followed the lives of Sam, the town sheriff, and Delilah, owner of the local beauty salon. Through this character I was able do some amazing dancing as well as explore portrayals of passion, self-loathing, love, and betrayal.”
Do you have a favorite style of dance?
“Although cliché, I think ballet is my favorite dance style. I never aspired to be a classical ballet dancer and would rather perform more contemporary work, but as a technique, nothing sets you up for a day of dancing like a ballet class.”
Why do you like to dance, what does dance mean to you?
“For me, dancing is one of the most beautiful forms of communication. When dancing I can use all my energy and essence to connect with an audience in a way that speaks to their humanity. When I dance, I try to put people in my shoes, in hopes that they can see a bit of themselves in the character I portray. I love dance because it allows me to let the viewer experience what I feel.”
How do you feel Reif Dance prepared you for college and a professional career?
“When I first got to college and looked around at the over two hundred other dancers there with me, I saw plenty of people with flashy skills I didn’t have. But it didn’t take me long to realize that the foundation I worked on in high school gave me the tools to quickly tackle any new movement that I needed to learn. The Reif also gave me tools that I use every day in my professional dancing career. One thing that I have learned is special and unique to Reif Dance is the school’s emphasis on storytelling through dance. At a young age I became comfortable conveying emotion to an audience nonverbally, and that ability continues to serve me to this day.”
Do you have any advice for aspiring dancers currently in the program?
“My advice would be to fall in love with the physical feeling of moving and dancing. If you truly love the feeling of moving your body through space, you will better connect with your audience, you will begin to revel in your technique, and you will be able to have more fun in class, making the hard work a lot easier!”
Thanks Nathan for updating us on your career! Nathan often comes back to visit his family in Grand Rapids, so don’t be surprised if you see him in the audience for an upcoming Reif Dance production! Our 2024 Nutcracker will feature all the elements that our local audiences love, great dancing, great music and lots and lots of kids! After all, what do the critics know?!