In a return to a classic, time-honored ballet tradition, the Jacobs School of Music’s Opera and Ballet Theater will present its performance of “The Nutcracker” beginning Friday at the Musical Arts Center. The show is enjoyed annually by fellow dancers, families and community members alike.
Professor of music in ballet Sasha Janes is this year’s choreographer for “The Nutcracker.” Jacobs dancers have now performed Janes’ adaptation since its debut in 2023. His take on the classic production is one told through the youthful perspective of Marie as she is taken on a magical journey with her Nutcracker Prince, who has come to life.
Jacobs dancers were split into three casts to perform throughout the show’s two-week run. Performances start at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, 12 and 13 and 2 p.m. Dec. 6, 7 and 13.
Although the show's main character is named Clara in many adaptation, Janes' reimagining centers around Marie, the main character in the original story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" by E.T.A. Hoffmann. Senior dancer Ella Sperry will dance the roles of Marie and the Sugar Plum Fairy in the show's first cast, with her stage time spanning nearly the entire show.
Sperry said her roles in this year’s production have allowed her to strengthen not only her ballet technique, but her acting skills as well. She said while acting feels natural to her, she enjoys finding small ways to improve her performance and add her own unique touches.
“I love getting little notes on acting, and each time I do it, being able to add something a little special,” she said, “because technically all the steps are the same between every task, but each of us tell the story a little bit differently and add our own little quirks here and there.”
In most productions of “The Nutcracker,” Marie and the Sugar Plum Fairy are two separate characters. Janes’ adaptation, however, turns Marie into the Sugar Plum Fairy, adding to the show’s whimsical and fantastical appeal.
Janes said Marie’s transformation into the Sugar Plum Fairy acts as a point in the plot that bridges the transition between Marie’s youth and transformation into a young woman.
“I thought it was a good way of showcasing her maturity through storytelling,” Janes said. “By the end of the ballet she becomes a young woman with a different perspective, a more mature perspective, while still having that sort of childlike imagination. So, it was important to me that she manifested into the Sugar Plum Fairy.”
Madeline Muth, a junior majoring in ballet with a minor in education, is part of all three casts and will perform in each showing. She dances several different roles in the production including snow, Marie’s mother, a lake princess and one of the tale’s driving characters, Drosselmeyer.
The role of Drosselmeyer is often played by male dancers and portrayed as a man, but Muth’s role is a gender flip on the classic character. Janes said that in this year’s adaptation, he wanted Drosselmeyer to represent a strong female presence in the show.
“I always knew I wanted to flip that into a female-identifying role, and just sort of give our lead character Marie a more plausible role model to follow on this big adventure,” he said. “What had been portrayed traditionally in the past was not something that interested me, and I think this is a more plausible way of continuing the story and making it more believable.”
"The Nutcracker" famously features the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, which has helped cement the show's place in the culture of the Christmas season. "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy," "Waltz of the Flowers" and "Trepak" have all become classic pieces associated with the holidays and are commonly featured in films, commercials and video games.
Muth said live music is one of the most vital aspects in keeping the tradition of “The Nutcracker” alive, as well as the art of ballet itself.
“Dancing for live music is one of the most special experiences we have as dancers, and with that being said, it could be different every single minute, but I think that’s the joy of being a ballet dancer,” she said. “It keeps you on your toes, and you accept the fact that it is live performance and anything can happen, and a lot of the times you’re at the hands of the music.”
With its ornate costumes, enchanting score and magical storyline, “The Nutcracker” has become an enduring yearly tradition for many, regardless of whether or not they regularly attend other ballets. As technology continues to be a growing presence in childrens’ lives, Janes said the fantastical story of “The Nutcracker” is one that prevails throughout changing times and should continue to be told.
“I think it’s very important that young children still use their imagination,” Janes said. “I think we’re getting to a point with technology where we don’t have to be as creative. So, I think it’s important for children to explore the world around them in a physical, real sense, not just in a digital sense.”
Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster with prices ranging from $27 to $62. There will not be a student discount offered.
