The Corpus Christi Ballet has been performing The Nutcracker every holiday season for 40 years. Courtesy Photo
When the 2014 season of The Nutcracker begins Saturday, Dec. 13th, it will mark the 40th year that the Corpus Christi Ballet has presented this well-loved holiday classic to a local audience. This year's production features a cast of more than 150 dancers and actors, complete with lavish scenery and costumes and new choreography.
Four local dignitaries will perform the role of Mother Ginger, while international guest artists Jun Shuang Huang and Yosbel Delgado will be joining the cast.
The role of Clara will be played by four local ballerinas. On Dec. 13, Ashley Arteaga will play the young girl whose dream comes true. Cheyanne Rowland performs Clara on Dec. 14, Abarrane Henderson dances the role on Dec. 20 and Alexis Peter will take the stage on Dec. 21. The Sugar Plum Fairy will be danced by Elizabeth Hooper and Mia Carvalho.
The Snow Queen will be performed by Heidi Erin Alford, Mia Carvalho and Shaela Yeager. Guest artists Michael Bannigan and James Vargas partner them in the performances.
Only four performances are set. The first two on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. The final two will be Saturday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21 at 3 p.m. Tickets for the first weekend will be half price, ranging from $6.50 to $16.50. The final Gala weekend includes live music from the Corpus Christi Ballet Orchestra led by guest conductor Dr. William Reber. Tickets for the Gala weekend range in price from $11.50 to $31.50.
Tickets are available at Ticketmaster outlets and from the box office of the American Bank Center.
The original performance of the ballet premiered in Moscow, Russia, a week before Christmas 1892. The tale is an adaptation by Alexandre Dumas Pere of a story by E.T.A. Hoffman. Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky wrote the music. Marius Petipa was the original choreographer. While a collection of eight of the musical pieces became widely popular as Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, the ballet itself did not become well know until almost 100 years later. It's first performance outside of Russia was in 1934 in England. It was first performed in the U.S. in 1944 by the San Francisco Ballet. It wasn't until George Balanchine's production by the New York City Ballet in 1954, that the story, music and dance became mainstream.
