[2/52] Counting down 52 NYCB Nutcrackers this year with stories from NYCB dancers past and present! Our next story come from former principal dancer Maria Calegari who was in the company from 1974-1994:
[Part 1] “The magic of Mr. Balanchine's Nutcracker touched my heart at a very early age. Growing up in Bayside, Queens my parents would always make sure we went to see the growing tree at Lincoln Center each Holiday season! My first memories of the ballet was the pas de deux in Act II with Patricia McBride and Edward Villella. (Edward and I went to the same elementary school in Bayside, PS 130!) I was so inspired even at age 5! One favorite section was Snow, as later on when dancing it in the corps that was how we would call it..just Snow. You'd always find some snowflakes in your clothes even after the show.
“As a new corps dancer we are usually a parent in the party scene, Snow, and Flowers. I loved how much Mr. Balanchine continued to love the Nutcracker and would always watch, even Act I, from his front wing, on stage right. Right near the pussycat on the scenery in the window!
Photos by Martha Swope, 1982
“At age 19, Mr. B cast me as the Dewdrop! And I adored this role so much. Truly magical. The music of Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers is so special to dance to. I loved the headpiece and Karinska's fantastic costume! I remember the ballerinas who I watched in Dewdrop that inspired me, Susan Hendl and Colleen Neary. Both very different and gifted.”
“A couple of years later I was cast in the great role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. Luckily our dear teacher at SAB, Suki Schorer, had taught us the variation and I got to perform the pas de deux on lecture demonstrations with a wonderful dancer, Gerard Ebitz, so I had had some practice.
“This role meant a great deal to me throughout my career. I often was cast on Christmas Eve and that felt like a great responsibility to set the magical tone of this special night. [1]
“Mr. Balanchine was very insistent, too, on the pantomime the Sugar Plum fairy does with the Prince and he loved to rehearse this. He also came to my dressing room to check and see my headpiece/crown was on correctly! I'm sharing a photo my Dad took of me in Sugar Plum and how Mr. B wanted the crown. Which was open and spread out on the top of the head, Russian style, and not scrunched up around the bun. [2]
“So, one never seems to tire of the Nutcracker. We all become like children again when we see it.
Photos by Martha Swope, 1985
“Many years later it inspired my husband Bart Cook who was a magnificent Herr Drosselmier, and I to create a magical puppet theater and show based on different stories like Rapunzel and Harry Potter, who both visit the magical land of the Nutcracker! We made the puppets who then danced all the sections Spanish, Mother Ginger and the pas de deux! [4] It delighted friends, family and our community in Putnam County. We had a few guest artists like, Marika Molnar of PT fame, her daughter Veronika Jokel who inspired us to make the puppet theater, and even Ted May! Director Of Sesame Street fame!! The Nutcracker is truly an inspiration for all times. I look forward to seeing it again this year with the bright stars of NYCB today!!”
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