"I can’t imagine not dancing it."

The Nutcracker is something American ballet companies do every year; it is something ballet dancers have seen and taken part in from an early age.  Naturally, after years of performances it becomes repetitive.  However, as dancers mature and polish their skills there’s always an excitement and anticipation about what roles you may be dancing each new year. 

Lauryn Winterhalder as Clara in Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre's
The Nutcracker in 2001 (Photo by: Bari Miller)

I performed The Nutcracker at my home studio in Santa Cruz, Ca from the age of eight to seventeen.  I danced many roles over the years: Party Child, Saltwater Taffy, Clara, Chinese Child, Ribbon, Garland, Snow Corps, Flower Corps, Snow Queen, Arabian, Peppermint Candy Cane  Marzipan, and Dew Drop Fairy. After ten years, Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre’s version became natural to me.  When I left home to dance with Pacific Northwest Ballet’s Professional Division, Kent Stowell’s The Nutcracker seemed very foreign.  In Stowell’s version, there is added music (Mozart), a company member dances the role of Clara, the sets are designed by Maurice Sendak, the costumes are fabulous and the whole ballet has an Asian theme - no Russian dance, no Marzipan, no Spanish, and no Arabian! Now, don’t get me wrong, it is a great version, but it was nothing like the one I grew up with and performed for ten years. 

After a year in Seattle, I moved to Ohio to dance with the Cincinnati Ballet.  At CB, I performed Val Caniparoli’s The Nutcracker, the third version of The Nutcracker in my repertoire (under my belt?).  In Caniparoli’s version, all the dancers in Act II are dolls and Marie (Clara) is danced by a company member who also dances Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy.  Again, a fantastic version and outrageous costumes but nothing like home. 

Three years ago, I moved to back to California to dance with Sacramento Ballet and I now dance in Ron Cunningham’s The Nutcracker.  My childhood ballet teachers used to dance for Ron, Carinne at Sacramento Ballet, and Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre’s version of The Nutcracker is influenced by Ron’s version.  I am finally able to dance a professional Nutcracker that feels like home/natural?!  Although the two versions are not exactly the same, they are very similar. Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre still uses old costumes that they purchased from Sacramento Ballet! 

Even though ballet dancers perform The Nutcracker every year, I can’t imagine not dancing it.  The Nutcracker is a vital part of ballet history and has been a big part of my life for fifteen years.  I am so glad to be performing Ron Cunningham’s The Nutcracker in celebration of his 25^th Anniversary Season and cannot wait to see what the 2012-13 year has in store for me!

Lauryn Winterhalder