Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Nutcracker Ballet







The Nutcracker
Do you know what the composer of The Nutcracker thought of when he was writing the music? He thought of many things and some of them are quite bazaar. The music is only one of the major things in The Nutcracker. “The ballet is very popular and will be for many more years to come” stated a staff member (“Who started The Nutcracker?”).



“Nutcrackers History “
The Nutcracker ballet is based on book “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffman. The Nutcracker ballet was started and choreographed by Marius Pepita, but when he fell ill his assistant Lev Ivonov Finalized took over. The Nutcracker was first preformed in Pietersburg, Russia at Mayihsker Theater on December 17, 1892 (“Nutcrackers History”). “The first time it was preformed the majority of people did not enjoy it” grunted an unhappy audience member. Now the show is a huge deal!


“The Composer”
The composer of The Nutcracker is Poytr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, 1840-1893. The music he wrote was also based on the book. Poytr came up with is music by thinking of food and each countries exotic nationalities. When he wrote about Spain he thought of chocolate. When he wrote about china he thought of tea, and people bobbing and nodding their heads. In his musical career he wrote 11 operas, 3 ballets, 5 suites, 3 piano concerts, and 1 violin concert. Out of all of them The Nutcracker was the most popular of them all (“Poytr Tchaikovsky”).


“Dancing in the Ballet”
“Becoming a dancer in The Nutcracker is a very competitive process” snapped a NYC dance teacher. It is not like any other professional sport. Usually there are less the 10 that make it in every year. Most people that have made it into The Nutcracker have many years of experience, but even if they do it does not guarantee them a spot in the ballet. When dancing in the ballet there is no limit on weight or height, but the dancers must have a certain maximum of strength along with attack, flexibility, speed, and energy (“Becoming a Dancer”).
“Becoming a dancer in The Nutcracker takes courage and great dancing abilities” stated a dancer. The dancers work hard and devote their time. Because of their devotion make it a sold out show every year. The ballet is an annual Christmas or Thanksgiving tradition for some. The Nutcracker has been a tremendous show for many years and many more to come.

Work Cited

“Becoming a Dancer.”http://www.nycballet.com/.

“Poytr Tchaikovsky.”http://www.britinca.com/.

“Poytr Tchaikovsky.”http://www.classicalmusic.sute101.com/.

“Who started The Nutcracker?.” The Nutcracker Ballet. 5.