More Nutcracker News
This morning we were playing The Nutcracker Suite, and the music had gotten to the point where the mice come to fight. I had asked Sarah to go pick up some toys in the same room where the music played, and she was afraid to go because of the mice. Alex had his sword, so I asked him to protect his sister. He put his little arm around her waist and cried, "I'll protect you!" The two of them marched into the family room, and he fought the mice while she picked up the toys.
There's a darker side, though. Alex has several outfits he can wear to be the Nutcracker. Basically they have to be red and/or blue, but there are particular combinations he really likes. Today I pulled out his clothes to dress him for church. He burst into tears because I hadn't chosen the usual Nutcracker clothes. I tried to convince him that what I had selected was what the Nutcracker would wear, but he would have none of it and cried for a prolonged time. Once he settled down a bit, I finished dressing him. I got his shoes out, and he started to cry again. He asked nicely through his sobs if he might wear his Nutcracker boots, so I told him that if he quit crying about the clothes, he could wear the boots. Apparently the boots were enough to make the man, or in this case, the Nutcracker, because he agreed to the deal.
Comments
Lisa:
I don't know whether you have this DVD or not, but I would recommend the Nutcracker Suite ballet done by the American Ballet Theatre (sometime in the early 1980's, I think.) This is the version with Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland (one of the finest dancers of the century) and features his original choreography. It is different from the usual version in that the Nutcracker (prince) has a much expanded role and a really smashing fight scene between him and the Mouse King. The grand pas de deux is also one of the most beautiful I have ever seen in that it is danced as a pas de trois -- prince, Clara and Herr Drosselmeyer. This is usually performed with the prince and the Sugar Plum Fairy. I would rate this Nutcracker very highly and since Alex seems so smitten with the character, I thought you might not know of this version. I have seen it for sale on Amazon. Let me know if you've seen it or plan to.
Betsy
Posted by: Betsy Cuthbertson | February 21, 2006 1:10 PM
We have George Balanchine's The Nutcracker. It has the unfortunate accident to have Macaulay Culkin play the Prince, but it has some narration that I think really helps young kids get into the story, and I suppose it is more interesting to kids with a boy as the Prince. The ABT under Baryshnikov did some amazing work, so perhaps we'll pick this up in the next few years. Though Alex would be very interested in the fight scene with the mouse king! Thanks for the recommendation!
Posted by: Lisa Roberts | February 21, 2006 8:39 PM