The Nutcracker Study Guide 2010-2011 Season
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The Nutcracker
Study Guide 2010-2011 Season
1
Table of Contents
Houston Ballet Study Guide
I. The Basics of Ballet
a. What is a ballet
b. Who are the Dancers?
c. Where do the Dancers work?
d. Who helps put on a performance?
e. Single performance production
II. Ballet History
a. A Brief History of Ballet
b. A Brief History of Houston Ballet
c. Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy
III. About the Dancers and Ballet Personnel
a. People who make the Ballet work
b. How are Dancers trained?
c. Why do they stand on their toes?
d. What is a Tutu?
e. Make-up, Scenic and Costume Design, Lighting
IV. The Nutcracker
a. The Story of The Nutcracker
b. The History of The Nutcracker Ballet
c. Choreographer
d. Composer
e. Designer
V. Suggested Activities
VI. Bibliography
2
Teacher and Chaperone Information
Houston Ballet is delighted that you and the students in your classes will be attending this
performance. To ensure your enjoyment of the event, please take note of the following
information and suggestions, and go over them with your students.
1. School clothes are appropriate dress, but some students will find that the occasion will
be more special if they “dress up”.
2. The Student matinee is coordinated through a seating chart. Houston Ballet volunteers
will escort your school to their seats. You will receive your tickets when you are seated.
3. This is a Live performance. Unlike television or the movies, the people on stage are there
at that moment and are dancing for the audience’s pleasure. Any noise distracts them.
Please instruct your students to be VERY QUIET during the performance.
4. NO food, drinks, cameras, or recording equipment will be allowed in the auditorium.
5. Allow plenty of time for seating, as latecomers cannot be seated once the performance
has begun. Since you may be arriving with a large class of students, allow plenty of time
for the entire group to come into the theater and find the location of your block of
seats.
6. The usher will help direct you to the restrooms at intermission. Please follow their
instructions. No student may go the restroom unescorted. Chaperones should prearrange
an orderly procedure for taking groups to the restrooms.
7. Encourage your students to show the dancers they like what they have seen by applauding
when the dancers have finished. It is customary to applaud when they bow.
8. When the lights in the theater go down, this is the signal to remain quiet since the
performance is about to begin.
9. Please encourage your students to clap when the conductor enters the pit.
10. The orchestra will begin to play the “overture” which is a short piece of music that is
played before the curtain goes up.
3
The Basics of Ballet
What is a Ballet?
Ballet is a performing or theatrical art. As a particular type of dancing, ballet requires a very
special technique, which the dancers must learn from master teachers and practice over several
years in order to perform. This technique includes basic positions of the arms and legs, set
steps and movements that involve complete coordination and strength.
Who are the Dancers?
The dancers come from a professional school, such as the Houston Ballet
Academy. The dancers in the Houston Ballet Company are professionals; that is,
they dance full time as a means of earning their living.
Where Do the Dancers Work?
Houston Ballet performs in the Wortham Theater Center from August through June, when they
finish a repertory season, consisting of seven different programs, each performed from seven
to eight times. In December, The Nutcracker is performed 32 times. During the remainder of
the year, the Company tours nationally and internationally or is in residence at its rehearsal
home at the Houston Ballet Academy, learning and rehearsing ballets for the upcoming
performances.
The Wortham Theater Center is a large, formal, traditional theater. The audience usually sees
only the “front of the house” (seating area). It is separated from the world of the dancers by
the proscenium arch – the frame like opening in the front of the performing area. Behind the
curtain that fills that opening lies the stage. Behind the draperies and scenery, or backstage,
are the work and preparation areas, storage for costumes and props, and dressing rooms.
4Who Helps put on a Performance?
An enormous number of people are necessary to produce a performance. Before the curtain
goes up the dancers have been rehearsed by the Ballet Master or Mistress in the dances
created by the choreographers. The Artistic Director supervises rehearsal. A staff of
administrators work to raise money for the Company to advertise the performances, and to sell
the tickets. In order to have a performance, there must be people to design and construct the
scenery and costumes, arrange the lighting, and pull the curtain. There is a staff to organize
and direct the orchestra that provides the music for the dancers.
The Performance Happens Only Once
The result – the performance – is the product of years of hard work and the effort of
countless numbers of people. And it is important to realize that, as in all live theater, the
performance happens only once. The magic that appears on the stage will never happen exactly
the same way again.
5Ballet History
A Brief History of Ballet
Ballet began in the Renaissance courts of Italy and France in the form of
lavish entertainment spectacles. The French queen, Catherine de Menici,
produced the first ballet to combine all the elements of dance, music, drama,
scenery and costumes under one unifying theme, entitled Le Ballet Comique de la Reine. Early
ballets were performed in ballrooms and consisted of singing and dramatic speaking as well as
dancing. They lasted many hours and had large numbers of performers, mostly members of the
courts. These court ballets reached their height of popularity under Louis XIV, who was an
accomplished dancer.
In 1669, when Louis could no longer dance, he formed the first official school, L’Academie
Royale de Musique (known today as Paris Opera). From this time, ballet evolved away from court
ballrooms into a more structured theater environment. The performers were trained to be
professionals rather than amateurs dancing for their own enjoyment.
The first woman appeared professionally in 1681. In the early 18th century, the ballerinas Marie
Camargo and Marie Salle made innovations that effected the development of the technique.
Marie Camargo shortened her skirts so that her brilliant footwork was visible, and removed the
heels from her shoes, which made her movement easier. Marie Salle, concerned with dramatic
expression, removed her heavy hoop skirt and fashionable wigs to make her characters more
believable.
Until the early 19th century, the most prominent dancers were men. This changed when women
began to dance en Pointe (on the tips of their toes, wearing special shoes.) The first major
ballet to feature the ballerina en Pointe was La Sylphide in 1832. The lead dancer, Marie
Taglioni, became one of the greatest ballerinas of the Romantic Era. This was at a time when
most ballets were about supernatural creatures and the contrast between reality and
imagination. Advances in theater technology, such as gas lighting, and more realistic sets helped
create an atmosphere of fantasy.
After 1850, the center of the ballet work shifted from Paris to St. Petersburg, Russia. There, a
great ballet master and choreographer, Marius Petipa, produced the famous ballets Swan Lake,
The Sleeping Beauty, and The Nutcracker in collaboration with composer Peter I. Tchaikovsky.
In 1890 the very best dancers trained at the Imperial Russian Ballet School.
6In 1909, Serge Diaghilev, a Russian producer, brought a group of these dancers, including Vaslav
Nijinsky and Anna Pavlova, to perform in Paris where they made a tremendous impression and
revived interest in classical ballet. The Ballets Tusses toured Europe and America presenting a
varied repertoire and showcasing outstanding dancers for the next 20 years. Anna Pavlova
formed her own company and traveled to every corner of the world introducing ballet to people
whom otherwise never would have seen it.
Americans became enthusiastic about ballet in the 1930’s when many of the dancers formed the
Ballets Russes and Anna Pavalova’s company settled in America. One of these settlers, George
Balanchine, began one of America’s leading companies. Another is American Ballet Theater,
which was founded in 1940 by dancers from the Imperial Russian Ballet and their American
pupils. At the present, nearly every American city has a professional ballet company with good
training.
In 1961 Rudolph Nureyev defected from Russia, an event which influenced the course of recent
ballet history. A revival of interest in the great male dancing was further stimulated by the
arrival of Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1974. Now the male stars, or danseurs, rival the ballerinas for
public acclamation, and a new generation of male American superstars has emerged
7Brief History of Houston Ballet
In 1955, the founding members of Houston Ballet Foundation had a vision for
dance in Houston: to create a resident ballet company and to start a school
which would train its dancers. Houston Ballet Academy was established that
same year under the leadership of Tatiana Semenova, a former dancer with the Ballet Russe de
Monte Carlo. In 1969, the professional company was founded, under the direction of Nina Popova, a
former dancer with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and American Ballet Theatre.
From 1976 -- 2003, Englishman Ben Stevenson, O.B.E., a former dancer with Britain's Royal Ballet
and English National Ballet, served as artistic director of Houston Ballet. He established a core of
permanent choreographers whose works have greatly enriched the company’s repertory. In 1989,
Sir Kenneth MacMillan joined the company as artistic associate and Christopher Bruce was named
resident choreographer. Sir Kenneth worked with the company from 1989 until his death in 1992,
setting five of his pieces on Houston Ballet’s dancers. Mr. Bruce, who currently holds the title of
associate choreographer, has set ten works on the company, including four pieces created
especially for Houston Ballet.
In July 2003, the acclaimed Australian choreographer Stanton Welch assumed the leadership of
Houston Ballet as artistic director. Mr. Welch, who has created ballets for many of the world's
leading companies, has choreographed sixteen works for Houston Ballet: Indigo (1999), Bruiser
(2000), Tales of Texas (2004), Blindness (2004), Bolero (2004), Nosotros (2005), Brigade
(2006), a spectacular new staging of Swan Lake (2006), The Four Seasons (2007), Punctilious
(2007), The Core (2008), A Doll’s House (2008) Mediæval Bæbes (2008), Marie (2009),
Elements (2009) and 40 (2009).
Houston Ballet Foundation has seen the fulfillment of its goals: an internationally acclaimed ballet
company which is now America’s fourth largest and an academy which supplies over 40 percent of
8the company's dancers. The New York Times has hailed Houston Ballet as “one of the nation’s
best ballet companies.” (The New York Times, March 13, 1997) The company comprises 53
dancers, including artists who have won gold and silver medals at major international ballet
competitions.
In 1984, a newly renovated dance facility was inaugurated to further the excellence of balletic
training and to accommodate the growth of the company and its academy. In 1987, the company
moved into its new performance space, the magnificent Wortham Theater Center, a state-of-
the-art facility in which the company currently performs over 75 performances seven months a
year.
Throughout its extraordinary growth period, Houston Ballet's operating expenses have grown from
less than $1 million in 1975 to over $18 million today. In May 1987, the company launched an
ambitious endowment drive. Houston Ballet's endowment stands at over $60 million, as of April
2007, making it one of the largest endowments of any dance company in the United States.
Under the leadership of managing director Cecil C. Conner since 1995, Houston Ballet has also
taken the lead in arranging collaborations with major American ballet companies to nurture the
creation of new major productions, among them Dracula (1997) with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre;
The Snow Maiden (1998) and The Pied Piper (2002) with American Ballet Theatre; Cleopatra
(2000) with PBT and Boston Ballet; The Firebird (2001) with the National Ballet of Canada; and
Carnival of the Animals (2007) with Pennsylvania Ballet.
Through hard work and dedication, Houston Ballet Foundation has ensured Houston Ballet's place
as a major cultural asset in the community and as one of the leading ballet companies in the world.
The company has toured extensively to critical praise in Europe, the United Kingdom, Asia, Canada,
and in cities throughout the United States. In July 1995, Houston Ballet was the first full
American ballet company invited by the Chinese government to tour the People's Republic of China.
9An estimated 500 million people witnessed Houston Ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet when
the company’s opening night performance was telecast live on Chinese television. Over the last ten
years, the company has emerged as one the most effective international ambassadors for the city
of Houston, giving performances in London, Spain, New York, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Toronto,
Montreal, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow.
10Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy
Since its founding in 1955, the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy has been providing the
very best classical ballet training for students starting at the pre-school level. Over the past
two decades, Ben Stevenson, a graduate of England's renowned Arts Educational School and the
Royal Ballet School, has nurtured the development of Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy
into one of the world's most respected dance training institutions.
Critic Clive Barnes has observed, "Stevenson must be regarded as one of the most persuasive
teachers of our time. He has the spirit of classic style within him and his teaching methods."
The Academy's outstanding faculty includes teachers who have performed with Houston Ballet
and other leading companies. As the official school of Houston Ballet, the Ben Stevenson
Academy has produced 76% of the company's dancers. Graduates have also joined leading dance
companies in the United States and Europe, including American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco
Ballet, Boston Ballet, Feld Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Hubbard
Street Dance Company, and Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Four hundred and fifty students, between the ages of 4 and 60, are currently enrolled in the
Academy's classes. Academy students have the additional advantage of classes and
performances with the company.
Students also perform continually with Houston Ballet in productions such as Cinderella, The
Sleeping Beauty, Coppelia, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. Academy students have the
additional advantage of classes with the company's ballet masters and leading dancers. Working
closely with and observing professional company members, choreographers, and our artistic
director, provides Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy students the chance to develop a
unique relationship that very few young aspiring dancers have the opportunity to experience.
Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy has jointly created a primary education program with
Texas Institute for the Arts in Education and Houston Independent School District to
introduce students to the art of dance. Twice a year, over 1000 students attend "Studio A" in a
lecture-demonstration by Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy students. Houston Ballet’s
Ben Stevenson Academy students also participate in Houston Ballet II, comprised of students
in the Level 8 Professional program who perform at venues throughout the Houston community.
The purpose is to expose local area students to classical ballet by bringing the performance to
them. Also, HB2 touring provides additional performance experience for students in Houston
Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy.
11About the Dancers and Ballet
Personnel
Personnel: People Who Make the Ballet Work
Below is a list of the people who make it possible for the dancers to go out on stage and dance
for you. When you read all their job descriptions, you will begin to realize what a tremendous
task it is to produce this special theatrical and musical art and how dedicated this team of
people must be to present work of this quality.
Artistic Director: Oversees all artistic matters, such as hiring dancers, choosing repertory,
and casting; sets and maintains the standards and style of the Company; teaches dancers,
rehearses ballets, and choreographs new works; serves as director of the Academy.
Managing Director: The chief administrator; oversees and coordinates all aspects of the
administrative functions of the company.
Ballet Master/Mistress: Conducts rehearsals, supervises the maintenance of repertory; may
teach dancers and assist with planning, scheduling and casting.
Music Director: Consults with the Artistic Director regarding music for the repertory;
prepares and edits the music to exactly match the choreography; may conduct the orchestra
during performances.
Orchestra Manager: Oversees the orchestra, hires the musicians, and negotiates permission to
use the music with publishers.
Conductor: Conducts the orchestra during performance.
Orchestra: Professional musicians who play the musical scores to which the ballets are
performed.
Pianists: Provide music for the Company class, rehearsals and school classes.
Production Manager: Oversees all aspects of the production of a performance not directly
related to dancing, including stagehands, wardrobe personnel, designers.
Carpenters: In charge of scenery; FLYMEN handle scenery that is suspended and “files” in and
out; GRIPS handle set pieces that are pushed and pulled on and off the stage.
12Electricians: In charge of all aspects of lighting and special effects, such as projections,
pyrotechnics, fog and smoke.
Properties: In charge of anything that is not considered scenery, things that are carried or
handled, and furniture.
Sound Technician: In charge of all sound effects, taped or amplified music, and public address
system.
Wardrobe Supervisor: In charge of all aspects of maintaining the costumes; creates the designs
for specific productions.
Designers: This group includes designers of scenery, lighting, and costumes; create the
designs for specific productions.
Choreographer: This person arranges or directs the movements, progress, or details of a
production.
Composer: This is a person who writes music.
Stage Manager: Runs the performance; gives cues which raise and lower curtain, move scenery,
change lights; also assists with technical demands during rehearsals, such as sound and voice
equipment.
Company Manager: The link between the dancers themselves and the administration; maintains
dance show inventory; in charge of booking and touring.
Development Department: Oversees the acquisition and budgeting of all contributed income
including the Annual Fund, Endowment, and Foundation and Government grants.
Marketing and Public Relations: Developing all sales/subscription materials; plans and executes
advertising campaigns – newspaper, television, outdoor posters; prepares all press releases and
develops various media coverage of the Company such as magazine articles, television pieces,
special newspaper coverage.
Box Office: Direct sales of tickets to the public and processing of all subscription orders.
Director of Finance: Oversees the day-to-day income and expenditure and short-term analysis
of budgeting.
Computer Services: Maintains the computer system, which handles development and
subscription records; supports the PC’s and software in use by the company.
13Academy Principal: Oversees the operation of the School – budgeting, planning curriculum,
scheduling class, hiring and supervising teachers; determines school class placement for
students; coordinates with Artistic Director to set policy and goal.
School Administrator: Monitors registrations and enrollment; coordinates public relations;
assists with student housing; coordinates with accounting office and assists with financial aid;
coordinator of special events such as the summer program.
School Faculty: Provides the direct classroom instruction to all levels of students.
14STANTON WELCH
Houston Ballet Artistic Director
In July 2003, the acclaimed Australian choreographer Stanton Welch assumed the leadership
of Houston Ballet, America's fourth largest ballet company, as artistic director. Mr. Welch is
one of the most sought after choreographers of his generation, having created works for such
prestigious international companies as Houston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet
Theatre, The Australian Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Royal Danish Ballet.
Mr. Welch was born in Melbourne to Marilyn Jones, O.B.E., and Garth Welch, A.M., two of
Australia's most gifted dancers of the 1960s and 1970s. In 1986 he began his training at the
late age of seventeen, quickly winning a scholarship to San Francisco Ballet School. In 1989 he
was engaged as a dancer with The Australian Ballet, where he rose to the rank of leading
soloist, performing such principal roles as Des Grieux in Sir Kenneth MacMillan's Manon, Lensky
in John Cranko's Onegin, Camille in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow, and Alan Strang in Equus.
He has also worked with internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Jiří Kylían, Nacho
Duato, and Maurice Béjart.
Mr. Welch’s choreographic career developed during his time with The Australian Ballet. In 1990
he received his first choreographic commission from the company, marking the beginning of a
series of commissioned works over the next fourteen years and developing his diverse
choreographic style. For The Australian Ballet he has created The Three of Us (1990); Of
Blessed Memory (1991), for which he was voted best new choreographer in 1992 by readers of
the British magazine Dance & Dancers; Divergence (1994), which has been preformed at The
Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and City Center in New York; full-length productions of
Madame Butterfly (1995) and Cinderella (1997); Red Earth (1996); X (1999); and Velocity
(2003). In 2005, Mr. Welch created a lavish new staging of The Sleeping Beauty for The
Australian Ballet. Madame Butterfly has become a signature work for Mr. Welch
15internationally, and is in the repertoires of Houston Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Atlanta
Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre, and Boston Ballet.
In 1995, Mr. Welch was named resident choreographer of The Australian Ballet. That same
year, he was commissioned to create Corroboree (Wildlife) for The Australian Ballet to perform
at “United We Dance,” a dance festival in San Francisco celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of
the signing of the United Nations Charter and featuring major companies from across the world
premiering new works.
Mr. Welch has been extremely active internationally, receiving numerous commissions from the
world’s leading companies. For Houston Ballet, he has choreographed sixteen works: Indigo
(1999), Bruiser (2000), Tales of Texas (2004), Blindness (2004), Bolero (2004), Nosotros
(2005), Brigade (2006), a spectacular new staging of Swan Lake (2006), The Four Seasons
(2007), Punctilious (2007), The Core (2008), A Doll's House (2008), Mediæval Bæbes (2008),
Marie (2009), Elements (2009) and 40 (2009). For San Francisco Ballet: Maninyas (1996),
Taiko (1999), Tu Tu (2003), Falling (2005) and Naked (2008). For American Ballet Theatre:
Clear (2001), two one-act ballets as part of Within You Without You: A Tribute to George
Harrison (2002); and a new version of Carmina Burana as part of the evening-length work
HereAfter (2003). For BalletMet: Evolution and Don Quixote, both full-length works.
For Atlanta Ballet: A Dance in the Garden of Mirth (2000). For Royal Danish Ballet: Ønsket
(1998) and Ander (1999). For Birmingham Royal Ballet: Powder (1998). For Moscow Dance
Theatre: Green (2000) and OPUS X (2001), both created for Ms. Nina Ananiashvili's group.
Mr. Welch has also staged works for Colorado Ballet; Cincinnati Ballet; Tulsa Ballet; Texas
Ballet Theater; The Royal Ballet School; Singapore Dance Theatre; Royal New Zealand Ballet;
and Fugate/Bahiri Ballet NY.
16How are the Dancers Trained?
Ballet requires a very special technique which dancers must practice with years of study to
perfect. This technique demands the outward rotation of the legs and feet called “turn-out, ”
extreme flexibility of legs and back, and highly arched feet and flexible ankles, particularly for
women who must dance en Pointe. Ideally, training begins when a student is between the ages of
eight and ten. Beginners learn set positions of the feet and arms, complex coordination and
strength.
While ballet provides exercise, entertainment and discipline for all, the hope of a professional
career is limited to a gifted few. These few possess a suitable physique and a tremendous
amount of dedication. Unlike a doctor or a lawyer that are trained for their career in college
and post-graduate school, a ballet student arrives at a professional level by the age of 18-20.
Why Do they Stand on the Tips of Their Toes?
An absolutely unique thing about classical ballet is that the women dance on the tips of their
toes. Originally, both men and woman dance in soft slippers with little heels. Around the
beginning of the 19th century, when ballet training began to emphasize tremendous strength of
the legs, ankles and feet, a few women realized they could rise to a fully pointed foot. At first
women used standing en Pointe as a trick of virtuosity.
During the Romantic Era in ballet, from 1830-1860, ballets were often about supernatural
creatures – sylphs, fairies, druids, and wills – and the ballerinas soon realized that dancing en
Pointe contributed to the illusion that they were lighter than air. Soon it was an integral part of
womens’ technique to dance en Pointe.
17At first the show was assemble satin slipper, tied on securely with ribbons and possibly darned
at the tip to prevent slipping. Eventually it was discovered that stiffening the area around the
toes with glue or shellac gave the dancer more support, and that contributed to the
development of more virtuostic technique, like pirouettes and sustained balances.
Today dancing en Pointe continues in the traditional ballets to promote the appearance of
fragility and femininity. But the contemporary dance has discovered that the use of Pointe
technique adds length to the line of the leg, and increases her speed and strength.
Only women dance en Pointe. Girls do not begin to train in Pointe shoes until their third or
fourth year, or until they are 11 or 12 years old. Although modern Pointe shoes provides support
through the blocked toe and stuff sole, it is not a magic shoe. The dancer must possess
considerable strength and technical mastery before attempting Pointe work.
Pointe shoes cost $50 a pair, and depending on the role she is dancing, a dancer can use up to
three pairs in one performance. The company uses approximately 10, 000 pairs of Pointe shoes
each year.
18What is a Tutu?
Why Do they Wear those Funny Skirts?
A tutu is a special kind of skirt worn by ballerinas in many classical ballets. These short, light
skirts are made from several layers of net, often stiffened or supported by a wire hoop. They
are the result of evolution in women’s costumes. In early ballet, women wore floor length skirts
and petticoats, as fashion required. They gradually shortened their skirts to show off their
technical footwork. During the Romantic Era, from about 1830-1860, the most popular costume
was a filmy net skirt, which came to be mid-calf, and contributed to the ethereal image of the
ballerina. As dance technique continued to become more complicated, the classical tutu, a short,
stiff skirt which has many layers of stiff net to make it stand out, was developed. By the 20th
century, some designers discarded skirts altogether, but the tutu still appears in some ballets
as a symbol of tradition.
19Makeup
Wearing makeup makes it possible for the audience to see the dancer’s facial features when
standing under bright lights. If a dancer does not wear makeup, the lights blur their eyes, nose,
and mouth. Usually, dancers wear just enough makeup to accentuate their features. Heavier and
more dramatic makeup is used to create a completely new face if the dancer is playing a
character role. It is possible to make a 22-year-old dancer look like a 70-year-old man by adding
wrinkles and shading.
Scenic and Costume Design
When the designers for a ballet are creating the costumes and scenery, they attend rehearsals
for the ballet to get a better feel for the dancer’s movement. The costumes must allow the
dancers to move about freely, the scenery must allow for as much dancing space as possible.
The designers will also work closely with the choreographer to learn the story or the mood of
the ballet.
Costume designers make drawings of the costumes and attach samples of fabric to be used.
Fabrics are chosen for their color and texture, quality and durability. Costumes need to be
sturdy so they can withstand all the dancing, perspiration and washing that they will go through.
The set designer draws and creates a miniature set so that carpenters can recreate it in full
scale to fit the stage. The model set is an exact replica of the set the audience will see.
20Lighting
Lighting is used to enhance scenery and costumes, as well as create a mood. Lights are hung
from horizontal poles hidden by scenery. Lights can also be hung on vertical poles just inside the
wings to give a different effect. Each light is covered with a gel – a thin sheet of colored glass
or plastic – to give it a color. Different colors project various moods, for example:
Yellow = Sun/Warmth
Blue = Mystery/Moonlight/Romance
Red = Tension/Fear
After all the colors are chosen for each scene, the cues to change the lights are programmed
into a computer. The stage manager calls out each cue during the performance, and the
technicians control the very precise lighting changes by computer.
21The Nutcracker
The Story of The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker tells the story of Clara and her magical nutcracker doll. One Christmas Eve,
the mysterious Dr. Drosselmeyer arrives at the Stahlbaum family’s Christmas party and
presents Clara with a special gift: a wooden nutcracker. After the party, as the clock strikes
midnight, Clara awakens to find the room filled with giant mice. The nutcracker comes to her
rescue and a fierce battle ensues as the nutcracker leads the toy soldiers against the mice and
their leader, King Rat. The nutcracker overcomes King Rat, and then is transformed into a
handsome prince who takes Clara on a magical journey.
To the delight of Clara and the audience, the evening is filled with dance. The Snow Queen
leads eighteen snowflakes in a brilliant waltz in the Land of Snow, where the trees are laden
with icicles. Then the Nutcracker Prince takes Clara on a boat ride across the Lemonade Sea to
the Kingdom of Sweets where they are greeted by the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Sugar Plum Fairy
treats Clara to sweets and entertainment provided by the inhabitants of the kingdom:
chocolate, a Spanish dance; coffee, an Arabian dance; and tea, a Chinese dance. Next comes the
comical Madame Bonbonaire whose huge skirt is filled with tiny clowns. Then there is the
Russian dance and the Waltz of the Flowers. Finally, the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker
Prince dance a grand pas de deux. As the celebration draws to a close, Clara becomes sleepy.
She awakens back in her bed, as the nutcracker salutes his little princess Clara.
22The History of Houston Ballet’s The Nutcracker
Houston Ballet first presented The Nutcracker thirty-six years ago on December 28, 1972, at
Jones Hall for the Performing Arts in downtown Houston. It was the company's first full-
length production, and featured choreography by Frederic Franklin and designs by Peter
Farmer. The company gave six performances in 1972. That number has increased to thirty-
three in 2009. The production has played – and continues to play -- a key role in Houston
Ballet’s financial picture, drawing over 65,000 theatergoers to Houston’s Theater District each
year and bringing in over $3.4 million revenues in 2009.
In 1976, Houston Ballet presented the production with choreography by the company's new
artistic director Ben Stevenson. In 1987, the current production with designs by Desmond
Heeley, lighting by Duane Schuler, and choreography by Mr. Stevenson was unveiled. Mr.
Heeley's enchanting settings for the popular story have received great critical acclaim. Pete
Szatmary of Houston Press observed,
"The sets -- which are what the eyes feast on most in this evening of visual splendors --
are simply spectacular. The house in which the Christmas party takes place is wrapped
just like a gigantic present and is stuffed with all sorts of goodies; it's like an ornate
picture book. The magical Christmas tree grows to such a size that it makes the one at
New York's Rockefeller Center look puny." (The Houston Press, November 29, 1993.)
2324
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(Composer)
(born May 7, 1840, Votkinsk, Russia — died Nov. 6, 1893, St. Petersburg) Russian composer.
Sensitive and interested in music from his early childhood, Tchaikovsky turned to serious
composition at age 14. In 1862 he began studying at the new St. Petersburg Conservatory; from
1866 he taught at the Moscow Conservatory. His Piano Concerto No. 1 (1875) was premiered in
Boston and became immensely popular. He wrote his first ballet, Swan Lake (first performed
1877), on commission from the Bolshoi Ballet. In 1877 he received a commission from the
wealthy Nadezhda von Meck (1831 – 94), who became his patron and longtime correspondent.
The opera Eugene Onegin (1878) soon followed. Though homosexual, he married briefly; after
three disastrous months of marriage, he attempted suicide. His composition was overshadowed
by his personal crisis for years. His second ballet, Sleeping Beauty (1889), was followed by the
opera The Queen of Spades (1890) and the great ballet The Nutcracker (1892). The Pathétique
Symphony (1893) premiered four days before his death from cholera; claims that he was forced
to commit suicide by noblemen outraged by his sexual liaisons are unfounded. He revolutionized
the ballet genre by transforming it from a grand decorative gesture into a staged musical
drama. His music has always had great popular appeal because of its tuneful, poignant melodies,
impressive harmonies, and colourful, picturesque orchestration.
25DESMOND HEELEY
(Scenic and Costume Design, The Nutcracker)
Desmond Heeley is an internationally acclaimed designer whose work spans the theater, opera,
Broadway, and ballet. Winner of several Tony awards, Mr. Heeley’s productions for Houston
Ballet also include Ben Stevenson’s Coppélia, The Sleeping Beauty, The Snow Maiden,
as well as Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Solitaire. He has designed sets and costumes for
John Cranko, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, and many others. His designs have been seen
in a number of productions at the Metropolitan Opera House, The Royal Ballet,
English National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Sadler’s Wells, La Scala in Milan,
The National Ballet of Canada, Stuttgart Ballet, New York City Opera, and numerous
productions on Broadway. He has worked with such luminaries of the stage and screen
as Vivien Leigh, Richard Burton, Peter O’Toole, and Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Desmond Heeley explained his inspiration for his designs in a 1987 article in the Houston
Chronicle.
“I remember my own childhood with the fairy stories, The Red Wonder Book and others, and
the characters wore clothes that seemed to have a color and ethnic quality - they were from
Bavaria, Munich, Switzerland – and I will use some of that. I will try to invoke a sort of nostalgia
in the piece, about pine trees and the smell of smoke and the gathering of the friends.”
“When Ben Stevenson asked me to do this, I had a notion about the old ballet, and all its posh
clothes in that first-act party scene, and wanted to do something simpler.”
“The first act will have the big fireplace and a cozy feeling, lots of red and gold, an old-
fashioned feeling and a stair leading to the upper floor.” –Desmond Heeley
26Suggested Activities
Pretend you are a critic and review the performance answering the questions posed in the
PREPARING YOUR STUDENTS section.
Using your pantomime gestures, tell of an event in your own life.
Use pantomime to portray different people in your every day life.
Using music, stylize your pantomime action to make a dance-like movement.
Work out a movement sequence to music using only one part of your body.
Think of body movements which are funny or that seem to suggest another emotion.
Rent a video and watch a full-length ballet. Those available include The Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and
Juliet, Cinderella, and Swan Lake.
Write a letter to your favorite dancer. Send it in care of:
Houston Ballet
1921 West Bell
Houston, TX, 77019
Listen to music (all different kinds from many different countries) and have small groups or
individuals interpret the music in movement. How does each piece of music:
1. Make you feel? (Happy, sad…)
2. Make you want to move? (Slow, fast, sliding, jumping…)
As an art project, have the students in class cooperate to “design” a ballet. Include:
1. Costume
2. Set and Design
3. Lighting effects
4. Sound design (music, noises…)
To begin, a team of artists will have to decide what the ballet will be about (theme), how many dancers
or characters there will be, how long it will last, and where it will be performed.
Review the jobs that are done in the ballet company:
Example: If you are the company manager and the company is going on a tour of the United States,
what will you be expected to take care of before you leave, while the company is on tour, when you
return, etc.
Example: When a dancer rips his shirt in a performance, whom should he ask to fix it?
Example: When you see the lights change on stage, which people were involved in making it happen?
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Bibliography
Anderson, Jack. Dance. New York: Newsweek Books, 1979.
Balachine, George. Balachine’s New Complete Stories of the Great Ballets. New York:
Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1968
Clarke, Mary & Clement Crisp. The Ballet Goers Guide. New York: Knopf, 1981
Grant, Gail. Technical Manual and Dictionary of Classical Ballet. New York: Dover Publication,
1982.
Noll, Sandra Hammond. Ballet Basics. Palo Alto, California: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1974
Phaidon. Phaidon Book of Ballet. Oxford: Phaidon Press Press Limited, 1981
Holmes, Anne. Houston Chronicle 1987
Special thanks to San Francisco Ballet for use of their materials in the preparation of this
study guide.
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