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The NutcrackerDecember 2011

Teacher's Study Guide

All rights reserved.©Lexington Ballet Company

The Plot

There are many versions of the basic Nutcracker story since its original production in

1891. The Lexington Ballet's version is as follows:

Nuremburg, Germany, Late Napoleonic Era

ACT1

A wicked sorcerer, seeking revenge for being turned into a king of rats, has turned the nephew of his antagonist,

the mysterious Herr Drosselmeyer, into a plain nutcracker doll. To break the spell, the Nutcracker has to defeat

the Rat King and make a young princess fall in love with him. Drosselmeyer decides that his goddaughter,

Marie, would be the perfect girl to help him get his nephew back.

On Christmas Eve, Marie's family (Doctor and Frau Stahlbaum and Marie's brother Fritz) throws a party where

there is much dancing, gift giving and story telling, including the grizzled Baron spinning tales of courage of his

youngest soldiers and adventures in foreign lands. The enigmatic Herr Drosselmeyer suddenly arrives at the

party and entertains everyone with a show of life-like mechanical dancing dolls. He then gives Marie the

Nutcracker doll. During the party, Marie's brother Friz breaks her beloved Nutcracker doll. Drosselmeyer

repairs the doll, but the party comes to an end.

After everyone leaves and the Stahlbaum family goes to bed for the night, Marie sneaks downstairs in concern

for her Nutcracker doll. She falls asleep beside him and begins to dream. Meanwhile, the Rat King and his

sinister army of rodents come to destroy the Nutcracker doll. Marie awakens and the Nutcracker doll comes to

life along with Fritz's toy soldiers. After a long and hard battle and with the help of Marie, they defeat the Rat

King.

Herr Drosselmeyer comes and transforms Marie into a charming princess who is able to see the Nutcracker for

who he really is - a courageous, good-hearted young man. Marie and her Nutcracker Prince travel into a

magical world beginning in a land of dancing snowflakes.

ACT II

Marie and the Nutcracker Prince, fresh from their victory over the evil sorcerer, continue their journey into the

Land of Sweets where the Sugarplum Fairy and her Cavalier have planned a magical party in their honor. At the

party, performers from faraway places dance for them and show them the exotic flavors that exist in the Land of

Sweets

Following, the celebration, Marie and Drossehnejer's nephew return to reality. Drosselmeyer discovers that the

spell has been broken and his wish of getting his nephew baek is fulfilled.

The Nutcracker

The Composer

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893) composed The Nutcracker, one of the world's best-

known ballets. Generally remembered as a composer of symphonies and ballets,

Tchaikovsky's music also includes stage works, major compositions for orchestra,

music for orchestra and solo instruments, chamber music, piano pieces, approximately

100 songs, church music, cantatas, and other choral works. Some of "Tchaikovsky's

best-loved music is that of the stage, which comprised 1 1 operas, 3 ballets and 2 works of incidentals music. All

three o f h i s ballets, including Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty, are in the standard repertoire of many ballets

companies, but perhaps none are so famil iar lor its music as The Nutcracker, which, although not conceived as

Christmas music, is heard everywhere this time of year.

"Casse-Noisette" (cass-nwa-/.et). or The Nutcracker, was first presented on December 7, 1892 at the Maryinsky

Theatre in St. Petersburg. Russia. In what may well have been a preview of coming attraction, a concert suite

from the upcoming Christmas-theme ballet was heard in March of the year the llrst ballet was performed. This

advanced hearing created a bit of a sensation, for it was in this suite Tchaikovsky introduced the silvery tone of

the celesta to create the magical mood of the "Dance of the Sugar Plum Tairy." The instruments, brought from

Paris under great secreacy, achieved maximum effect at first hearing. The Nutcracker Suite qu ick ly settled into

orchestral repertoire and went on to become an international favorite. Tchaikovsky died dur ing a cholera

epidemic w i t h i n a year of the tlrsl performance of The Nutcracker.

The Choreographers

Marius Petipa (1818-1910) was the foremost choreographer of classical ballets in

late 19th-centruy Russia and one of the most i n f l u e n t i a l choreographers of all t ime.

Petipa (pet-e-pa) was born in Trance and came to St. Petersburg as a young man to

dance at the Maryinsky Theater. The ballet school of the Maryinsky 'Theatre

became one of the best ballet schools in the world and its dance company a r ival to

Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet as the premier dance company in Russia. After some

years of dancing wi th the St. Petersburg Ballet. Petipa began to choreography ballets for the company. By the

1890s, and his association with Tchaikovsky. Petipa had been choreographing ballets from the Maryinsky

Theater ballet for almost 30 years. The first collaboration between Petipa and Tchaikovsky was Sleeping

Beauty, which debuted at the Maryinsky Theater in 1890. Its success provided the composer wi th the scenario

and general outline of the action to be seen in The Nutcracker ballet. I lowcver, Petipa entrusted the final

choreography to his assistant Lev [\anov (18.14-1901). No one knows how much of the ballet is owing to w h i c h

man. Dance scholars today often attribute the ballet to Ivanov, but there is no doubt that the or ig inal conception

of the ballet, to which Tchaikovsky wrote his score, was Petipa's.

The Story

The story of The Nutcracker is based on a fairy talc by FT.A. Hoffman (1776-

1822). a German writer who spcciali/ed in sophisticated fairy tales for adults.

1 loffman's macabre style later influenced such other masters of the macabre as the

American poet and short story writer Fdgar Allen Poe and the French symbolist

poet Charles Baudelaire. As was noted at the time of The Nutcracker ballet 's

debut in 1892, the ballet's version considerably toned down the occasionally

gruesome imagery in Hoffman's original story.

Production History

The Nutcracker was performed exclusively in Russia u n t i l the Sadler Wells Ballet of London production in

1934. In the fall of 1940. the Ballet Russes dc Monte Carlo introduced The Nutcracker Suite to American

audiences by performing the Divertissements of Act II. A full-length production was not seen in this country

unt i l 1944. performed by the San Francisco Ballet.

It was not u n t i l 10 years later that the famed choreographer, George Balanchine. presented his interpretation of

The Nutcracker w i t h the New York City Ballet. It is Balanchine's production that caused The Nutcracker to

become the most popular of all ballets and an annual holiday event, not only wi th the New York C'ity Ballet, but

classical ballet companies across the country.

The Lexington Ballet has been performing its version of The Nutcracker since 1 977. Balanchine's ballet was

designed to be performed by children; the original version had over 100 chi ldren on stage in the two acts. This

tradi t ion has also been preserved by The Lexington Ballet .

The Costumes

The 1 ,e\ington Ballet's production of The Nutcracker has over 150 separate costumes and some years the ballet

has been performed by as main as 120 chi ldren. The casts during the school shows are alwavs smaller than

those used in the public performances. Our costumes were acquired from the London Festival Mallet more than

a quarter century ago. Look especially for the Russian dancers in Act I I . These costumes arc both very

elaborate and very heavy! Bach costume has to be hand-fitted to the dancer performing the role in this year's

production. Ballet costumes are different from the costumes used by theatre companies in that they have to

specially designed to allow the dancer maximum freedom of movement. Sometimes costumes get too old and

have to be replaced. Some of the older costumes arc irreplaceable, but even the newer costumes are worth more

than $500 each.

What is Ballet?

The English word "ballet" comes from the French, who adopted it from the Italian, who originally used the word

to refer to dancing of any kind. Over time, classical ballet came to be defined as an intricate group dance, which

uses pantomime {which is derived from the Latin word meaning to mimic) and conventionali/ed movements to

tell a story. These features distinguished ballets from popular dancing performed by ordinary people. Some

ballets have been continuously performed since the early 19th century as generations of ballet companies have

passed down well-defined sequences of steps and gestures set to specific pieces of music. The Lexington

Ballet 's production of The Nutcracker belongs to this t rad i t ion .

The sequence of steps and gestures in each of these ballets is called choreography. The English word combines

the Greek words for dance and wr i t ing , therefore choreography li teral ly means, "dance notation." Imagine the

difficult ies before film and video of recreating past performances of a particular ballet. Choreographers used to

employ elaborate notational systems to record the exact sequence of dance. Nonetheless, the classical ballets

inev i tab ly evolved over time as various choreographers arranged, and rearranged, the dances according to their

memories, notes and personal artistic ambitions. Even today ballet companies perform the classics in different

ways depending upon the inventiveness of the company "s own choreographer, the sk i l l s of the company dancers

and so on. However, since the invent ion of f i l m , it has become possible for companies to perform a dance

exactly the same as the first recorded production.

Many of the older classical ballets, such as Tin? Nutcracker, t e l l stories. To this end, the music, lighting,

costumes, gestures and movements of the dancers all work together to create a narrative. 1 lowever, even in The

Nutcracker the narrative sometimes simply becomes the context in which the dancing, for its own sake, is

performed. Thus, whi l e the first act of The Nutcracker moves from a party to Marie's encounter w ith the

Nutcracker and battle with the Rat King and his minions, much of the second act is devoted to ind iv idua l dance

pieces, performed before Marie and her companion in the Land of Sweets.

(ircat dance should seem effortless, displaying certain physical lightness - an expression of freedom, or longing

tor freedom. Dancers should perform with case, confidence, bravura and freedom. Assured of technique and

properly rehearsed, a good dancer w i l l let go, forgetting about particulars, only th ink ing about the human body

moving through space. Great dancers, perhaps, wi l l not be t h i n k i n g at all, but wi l l become the very dance they

perform. Many subtleties separate a good ballet performance from the truly inspirational. Watch for: ( 1 )

variations in speed. (2) direction changes, (3) the height of leaps. (4) quiet landings, (5) body extensions, and (6)

smooth movement between partners. Also watch for the dancers abi l i ty to create mood or emotion, the

movement in connection w i t h the music and the a b i l i t y to make it all look easy.

A Brief History of Ballet

The story of ballet began five hundred years ago in Italy, dur ing the Renaissance. In those days the I t a l i an

nobles entertained important visitors with elaborate pageants of poetry, music, mime and dance. When an

Ita l ian woman named Catherine de Medici married K ing Henry I I and became Queen of France, she introduced

this type of entertainment to the French Court.

Almost a hundred years later, in 1643. Louis XIV became King of France at the age of five. Louis loved to

dance and performed in man\f the court ballets. He created the Royal Academy of Music and Dance in 1661.

It was then that the five basic positions of the feet were developed and ballet began to develop a set technique.

This is why French is the language used to describe ballet steps.

At that time women were not allowed to perform in ballets. Their roles were taken by men wearing masks and

women's clothing. The first ballet w i t h parts played b\n was in 1681. One of the first female dancers

was Maria Camargo. Maria thought the women's costumers of the time were too heavy and bulky, so she

shortened her skirts to be able to move better and wore f la t shoes so she could do simple jumps.

In the late 17()()s the world of dance experienced many changes, thanks mainly to Jean-Georges Noverre. Born

in 1727, Jean-Georges was a great dancer and choreographer who believed dancing should be more than just

pretty movements. It should tell a story. Fie did away w i t h the singing and the masks and taught dancers how to

use mime and facial expression to tell a story. Jean-Georges" creation of the ballet (/'action (ballets that tell a

story) changed ballet forever.

Beginning wi th the production of La Sylphhte in 1832, the Romantic Lra of ballet introduced more changes.

Women became the important figures in the stories and began dancing on their toes in what are now called

"pointe shoes." The number of steps increased and the movements became more expressive and lyrical. Rven

the subject matter of the ballets changed. Instead of stories about heroes and myths, fairy tales and folk legends

were used. The costume became a long, flowing skirt call the "romantic tutu" and women took on a more

graceful appearance.

Ballet was very popular in Russia in the mid-1800s and the Imperial Ballet in Moscow and St. Petersburg

became known all over the world. Many French composers and dancers went there to St. Petersburg to work

with them. One was Marius Petipa. During his time in Russia, he created 60 full-length ballets. Many of which

are still performed today and Pelipa is considered the father of classical ballet.

The modern era of ballet started in the early 1900s when a young Russian named Serge Diaghilcv moved to

Paris to try out some new and exciting ideas he had about art, music and dance. I le introduced a young

choreographer named Michel Fokine. Fokine was a rebel who broke with tradition and changed ballet from a

pretty entertainment into a work of art. In 1 9 1 1 , Diaghilcv formed his own company, the Russian Ballet, which

was usually known by its French name, Fes Ballets Russes.

Ballet emerged in America in the mid-1900s. The two most important American companies, American Ballet

['heater and New York City Ballet, were both established in the earl\s and other regional companies,

including the Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia, soon followed. New York City became the dance capital of

the world and George Balanchine, artistic director for the New York City Ballet until his death in 1983. became

the most influential choreographer of the 20" century. Today, millions of Americans enjoy live ballet

performances all over the country.

Before Attending the Performance

The following activities are designed to acquaint students with the story of The Nutcracker as well as

the idea of ballet itself as movement without words. Activi t ies incorporate writing, drawing and/or class

discussion. As in the production of The Nutcracker, imagination is the key to these activities! It would be

helpful for you to read the story or view a videotape of The Nutcracker to become familiar with the elements of

the story before you begin any of the following activities. A videotape can also play an important role after the

performance, as a reference tool, to recall and highlight what the students saw at the Singletary Center.

Fist for students five ingredients from which students wil l create their own stories.

(In order to promote originality, do not mention /'he Nutcracker to your students as part of this lesson.)

• A party - what kind of celebration, when, describe the setting

• Guests - people, animals or things invited

• A very special guest - describe what makes this guest special

• A magical gift - what is it, from whom, for whom, magical properties

• Everything changes - describe how everything changes and its effect on all the other story elements

Ask the students to use their imagination to create original stories using these five story elements. These can be

independent stories or stories in the round, in which students contribute different elements to a class-created

story. If written independently, students should share their stories with the rest of the class.

Ask the students to listen for the five story elements while you read the story aloud. You might ask students to

bring from home any storybooks they have about The Nutcracker, to see how different authors and illustrators

interpret the story. In fact, The Nutcracker is a holiday tradition for many ballet companies and all of the

presentations vary, except for the music by Peter Tchaikovsky.

Have students compare and contrast their own stories with the story you have read.

Prior to attending the performance, review with the students the five elements they should look for at the

performance.

Music and Imagination

Remind students that music is a powerful inspiration of their imagination. Play selected pieces of music from

The Nutcracker and let the music inspire imagery, mood and the imagination.

Tell students you are going to play music that can take them on a journey. They are to sit quietly, close their

eyes, listen to the music and let what they hear become colors, places and people in their mind's eye. While the

students are listening to the music with eyes closed ask the following.

• What if the walls of the school opened up and you could fly out into the sky?

o Where do you go?

o What colors do you see?

o What is the weather like?

o Are there people or buildings?

o Have you found a new land?

o Who is in your newly discovered world?

Students can write or draw the places, people and other things they see on their imaginary journey or even make

collages from magazine pictures.

After the Performance

Ask students to select their favorite dance or dancer and explain why they chose that particular dance or dancer.

Lead a discussion in which students describe the journey taken by Marie and the Nutcracker Prince and compare

and contrast that journey with their own imaginary journeys.

Discuss how in The Nutcracker snowflakes, sweets of all kinds and flowers dance. Discuss the choreographed

movements executed by the dancers or what brings objects to life. Have the students describe how the

characters in The Nutcracker were revealed through movement.

Each student identifies three qualities of an object brought from home or found in the classroom and, imagining

themselves as that object, writes and performs movements conveying the look, feel and purpose of the object.

Students should explore the following:

What does it look like? Is it hard, soft? Is it functional? Is it a toy?

Is it pliable? Is it colorful?

What would the furniture in the students' homes move like?

What about the clothes in their closets?

What would happen if two or more objects dances together (i.e. the planets and the stars)?

This activity introduces the idea of personification, giving objects movement qualities. Is also enhances the

students' understanding of how the dancers in The Nutcracker embody "things" like snowflakes, candy canes

and flowers.

Activities for younger students

Children might be asked to play a game in which they have to communicate a specific idea to other children

using only gestures, i.e. charades. After playing this popular game, the teacher might ask the students how it is

they know how to interpret the gestures the other students were using. A general discussion could follow, about

how human beings communicate all the time using only body movements and facial expressions. The teacher

might even want to ask students to act out different types of emotions, anger, love, etc., and perhaps even play a

game in which students try to tell a story that passes from one extreme emotional state to another without

speaking.

Sample Lesson Plan

Two weeks before attending The Nutcracker, the students will learn about Tchaikovsky and the music from the

ballet (older students might be assigned Hoffman's original story to read and perhaps even a story by Poe).

After having different versions of the story read to them, students wi l l compare the stories. Using various search

engines, they will find "Nutcracker" on the Internet and discuss the reasons for there being so much information

about it. After attending the performance presented by The Lexington Ballet, students will watch a filmed

version of the ballet and compare it with the production they attended as well as the written interpretations of the

story. Each student wilt compose a letter to the director of The Lexington Ballet. In the letter, they will relate

their personal feelings about the performance, including the song, dance and/or dancer they enjoyed the most.

Objectives

Students will:

• Become familiar with the composer Tchaikovskv and the music from The Nutcracker

• Rccogni/c that there are different interpretations of a piece of music

• Attend a professional ballet performance

• Articulate their personal preferences in a polite manner

Assessment:

• Attendance at The Lexington Ballet's Nutcracker performance

• Written letter to The Lexington Ballet

• Class participation - "Why so much on the Internet about The Nutcracker^

• Naming at least five songs from The Nutcracker ballet

Technology

• Word processing software

• Computer

• Internet

Time to ('ompiele

• Three weeks prior to winter break

Research / Open-ended Questions

1. The first ballerinas made their appearance as professionals in 1681. Prior to that men wearing

appropriate costumes and masks portrayed female characters. What was the perception of women on

stage in the early 17th century? Who was the first known prima ballerina?

2. Fashions of dress for ballet changed dramatically in the 18th century. Corsets and hoop skirts were out

and high waists and flowing draperies were in. Heeled shoes were discarded for flexible slippers or

even sandals. Explain how these changes affected dance techniques and movements for dancers.

3. The dancers today have inherited tier technique, style and much of their repertoire from the previous

generation of dancers, who learned from their predecessors in an unbroken line back to ballet's very

beginnings in the Renaissance courts of Italy. Why is the study of the history of ballet essential for

current dancers? What other areas or occupations require past knowledge to build upon for current

practice? Explain.

4. When The Nutcracker was first performed in 1892, it was considered too short and too childish. What

choreography was added to the ballet to make it appeal more to an adult audience?

Connect-A-WordCarefully draw a l ing from the words listed on the left to the eorreel description on the right.

h.T.A. Hoffman This doll transforms into a handsome prince.

Christmas The army of mice.

The Nutcracker He is the composer of The Nutcracker.

Marie He wrote the fairy tale on which The Nutcracker is based.

Herr Drosselmeyer This person received the Nutcracker doll as a gift.

Christmas Tree This person delighted children with gifts at the party.

Rat King Attendants At the begging of Marie's dream, th is object grows taller.

Tchaikovsky The story of The Nutcracker takes place on the eve of thisholiday.

Other Suggested Activities and Projects

• 1 low would you cast a modern version of The Nutcracker \\i movie stars of today','

• Imagine the Christmas party at Marie's home. Make a detailed drawing of the party. Do not forget toinclude the people, presents, tree, etc.

• Create a stage set for Act 1 of The Nutcracker out of construction paper, cardboard, toys and othermaterials.

• Can you th ink of other stories where to\ come to life? Describe them.

• Research the various types of dance in Act II of The Nutcracker (Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabian,etc.)

I las your class done a creative a c t i v i t y related to I'he Nutcracker'.' Would you l i ke lo share il w i t h other schools? The LexingtonBallet would enjoy sharing your class activity with others receiving the study guide. Submit your activity in writing lo: I heLexington Ballet. Alln: Study Guide, 161 N. M i l l Street. Lex ing ton .KY 4(1507

A GLOSSARY OF BALLET TERMS

Adagio - slow and sustained movements: a slow and sustained dance

Arabesque (ara-besk) - a frequently used classical ballet position. The weight of the body is supported on oneleg while the other is extended in back, the knee straight. The arabesque may be varied in many ways bychanging the position of the arms, the angle of the body and the height of the leg in the air.

Allegro (uh-leh-gro) - fast running and jumping movements; a fast dance

Attitude - a classical position similar to the arabesque, except that the knee of the raised leg is bent

Ballet shoes - soft slippers made of flexible leather with thin, flexible soles

Battement (baht-mahn) - an extension of the leg

Bourree (boo-ray) - a rapid run, like a tri l l on the points of the toes, with the feet in fifth position. The feetmove so quickly that the transfer of weight is almost imperceptible. The ballerina seems to skim across thestage.

Chaine (sheh-nay) - a series of turns, executed in a line or in a circle, in which the feet remain close to the floorand the weight is transferred rapidly and almost imperceptibly from one fool to the other as the body revolves

Chass (shah-say) - a slide in which the weight is transferred from two feet to one, or from one to another

Choreographer - the person who creates, or composes, the dance

Corps de ballet (cor-de-bah-lay) - the supporting dancers of the ballet company

Danseur (dan-sir) - any professional male dancer

Dcveloppe (day-vel-oh-pay) - a smooth, gradual unfolding of the leg toward the front, side or back

En pointe (on point) - the ballerina rises as far from the floor as she possibly can by dancing on the tips of hertoes. She carries her weight not merely high on the balls of her feet but literally on the top of her toes.Originally, dancers did this in soft slippers; today toe shoes are blocked across the front to give added support

Entrechat (ahn-treh-shah) - a jump beginning and ending in fifth position. While the body is in the air, the feetare rapidly crossed

Fouette (fweh-tay) - one of the most bri l l iant steps in ballet. The dancer turns on one foot (usually en pointe)whi l e at each revolution the working leg whips sharply into second position en I'air (in the air)

Glissade (glih-sahd) - a sliding step, beginning and ending in fifth position

Jete (zheh-tay) - a jump from one foot to the other

Pas de deux (paw de duh) - literally "step for two"; a duet, often in several positions

Passe (paw-say) - a passing position or movement

Phrase - a series of steps or patterns, which constitute part of an idea; a sentence in movement

Pirouette (peer-oh-\vet) - a turn in place, on one foot. A good dancer can execute four or five continuousrevolutions; a virtuoso, as many as a do/en

Plie (plec-AY) - a bend of the knees

Pointe shoes - see toes shoes

Koiid de jambe(rohn de jahm)- a circular movement of the leg, accomplished either with the toe on the ilooror with the working leg raised

Toe shoes - soft fabric (usually satin) slippers blocked across the toes with a hard pad to give support when thedancer rises en pointe

Tour en I'air (tour ahn lair) - a complete single, double or triple turn in the air, usually beginning from andending in fifth position. It is almost always executed by male dancers.

Tutu - the traditional ballet skirt usually made of many layers of gathered tulle. The length of the tutu variesaccording to the period or style of the ballet being performed.

Be a Student Critic!

Reviewer Name: Date:

Title of Performance

To the student reviewer:See if you can evaluate the performance you saw as thoroughly and descriptively as a professional critic. Youmight enjoy going to a newspaper or magazine to read a review of another performance. Students need notaddress all the questions listed below. These simply serve as guidelines of things to consider in your reviews. Ifyou need more space to write, use the back of this paper.

1. What was the most important mood in the dance? (Circle one) serious playful somber determinedromantic other (describe)

2. In what form or style was the dance performed? (Circle one) ballet modern jazz tap ethnic

3. How did the music compare or contrast with the movement?

4. Was the movement (circle one) staccato legato a combination?

5. Was there a particular color or color scheme used in the costuming?

6. Was there any strong characteristics regarding costumes?

7. Was there any particular eolor outstanding on the lighting?

8. Did the dancers carry any props?

9. At what energy level was the dance mostly performed? (circle one) strong weak sharp softlixplain:

10. Was there any outstanding quality about the scenery? Think about the furniture on stage, backdrop,design, scrim, platforms, etc.

1 1 . Did the dance have a regular or irregular rhythm?

12. What did you feel the choreographer was trying to say in this performance?

13. Did the performance have a story line, or was it abstract?

14. Did you notice if"the dancers followed any particular floor plan or pattern? Draw it if necessary.

5. Explain how the choreographer utilized the dancers

Group piece

Soloist(s)

Duet

Trio or quartet

Combinations

16. Were there any special features that you have not already mentioned that made this dance stand out?Explain.

17. Describe to structure and story of the performance.